OUT OF THE ASHES
by jldp3
Summary: This story begins in May 2016, Rory returned to the east coast in 2013. After a news director began to follow her stories offering her a job as an intern. She ends up as an assistant producer. In 2014, Rory loses her grandfather, Richard Gilmore and meets a handsome journalist. Tragedy strikes again, not once but twice. This is her story how she survives and finds love.
1. Chapter 1

**AN ….This story began as a collaboration with anonymousgg16, with her encouragement and the editing help from ClaudiaCleland I decided to publish my first story.**

 **This story begins in May 2016, Rory returned to the east coast in 2013. After working on the Obama campaign she worked as a freelance journalist. A news broadcaster began to follow her stories and offered he a job as an intern. He then took her to NBC and when he left to be the Executive producer at CBS he asked her join him as an assistant producer. In 2014, Rory loses her grandfather Richard Gilmore and she meets the love of her life. But tragedy strikes again, not once but twice. This story will tell how she survived these terrible losses and finds her forever love with the help from her friends.**

 **I hope you enjoy this story.**

 **Chapter 1**

"I'll miss you," Rory whispered. She was standing at the security checkpoint, wrapped in the arms of her fiancé, Ace Gerrard.

"I'll miss you, too. I'll only be gone for a few days this time, though," Ace promised her. He was a correspondent for CBS, and he was headed to England and France on assignment.

"I know you have to go, but I hate when you leave," Rory whispered.

"Just two more months and we'll be married, mon amour." He hoped he could get her to focus on their upcoming wedding rather than his departure from the States.

"Two months," Rory replied dreamily. "I can't wait to become Mrs. Gerrard."

"I can't wait either. Now, I have to go or I won't make my flight," he warned.

"Hmm... that would mean you have to stay here with me," Rory joked.

Ace chuckled and shook his head at his fiancée's antics. "That would mean I would have to take the next flight and I would be late for my assignment. I'll see you in a few days."

"Promise you'll come home safe, okay? I love you, mon amour," Rory whispered. She had fallen for the teddy bear of a man standing in front of her and had latched onto the popular French term of endearment when she'd heard it.

"And I love you, mon trésor. I'll call you as soon as I can," Ace promised. He wrapped his arms around Rory tightly and kissed her deeply. Their relationship had always been one that was full of emotion and unbridled passion. He'd heard stories about how shy and reserved she had been with exes, but she'd never been that way with him. He pulled away and kissed her forehead.

"Au revoir. Je t'aime," Rory said as she pulled away from him.

"Au revoir. Je t'aime, mon amour. Je reviens vite," Ace replied. He kissed her once more and walked through the security checkpoint to find his gate.

Rory watched him as he waved just before he was out of sight and blew him one last kiss before turning and walking back out to the parking lot to find her car. She got into her car and smiled as she pulled out of the parking lot.

She hadn't been looking for love when she'd met him, but he'd captured her attention. Their courtship had been intense and exciting. Her mom and Luke were unsure of Ace at first, but Rory was firm in her declarations that their opinions of him didn't matter to her. They'd traveled the world together on assignment from time to time and had settled in Manhattan in 2015. That had been a difficult year for Rory. Her mother had passed away from ovarian cancer, and she never would have made it through that loss without Ace by her side. He'd proposed on New Year's Day in 2016 and they'd made plans to wed a short eight months later. Rory finally had it all - a thriving career as a producer at CBS, an amazing fiance, and soon she would be married.

Rory Gilmore had just left her office at the CBS studios on 57th Street. She was on her way to meet her best friend, Steph Vanderpool, for lunch at her favorite Italian restaurant, Bocca di Bacco. She arrived at the restaurant first and gave her name to the hostess. The hostess led her to her table and Rory ordered a glass of chianti for herself and one for Steph. The two girls were meeting to go over Rory's wedding plans. As she was sitting there waiting for Steph, her mind wandered and she thought about the day she met her fiance.

 _It was a beautiful spring day in May 2014. Rory had been working as a freelance journalist and had traveled to Washington DC for the annual correspondents dinner. Having worked on the_ _Obama_ _campaign trail, she attended these dinners which were a great way for her to network with fellow journalist. She was standing at the bar talking to some fellow reporters when this handsome reporter came over to their group._

" _Bonjour, Chris," said the handsome man, "I have not seen you on many assignments. How is your family?"_

 _Chris Cuomo was standing beside Rory and turned to his friend. "Ace, how are you? Have you returned to the states now for good?" he asked as the two men embraced._

" _Ace", like in "Ace reporter?" Rory asked with a big grin. It had been a long time since she'd heard that name._

 _Chris laughed. "Excuse me, Rory. Let me introduce you to_ _Acelet_ _Gerrard, better known to all of us as Ace. Ace, this is Rory Gilmore, better known as Leigh Hollow in our circle."_

 _Acelet_ _took Rory's hand in his and kissed it. "_ _Enchanté_ _," he said._

" _Quite the charmer," Rory said to Chris._

 _Ace_ _was mesmerized_ _by her. Not letting go of her hand, he continued. "You have the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen."_

" _Yup, you know how to charm the ladies." Rory smiled and turned to her friends and waved goodbye. "Well, I will catch up with you later," she said as she left the group. Rory walked over to another group of reporters and kept her eyes on Ace. Ace was six feet tall, with wavy brown hair. He had an air of confidence as he stood there talking and laughing with the journalist she had been talking too. She had never seen him before and she thought she heard a French accent. She asked Nora Roberts, who was standing beside her, for more information about Ace Gerrard._

 _Nora leaned over and whispered, "He is one of the newest up-and-coming journalists. He is a graduate from the Harvard School of journalism and CBS is very interested in him."_

Rory was remembering the day she met her fiance when Steph approached their table.

"Why the silly grin, Gilmore?" Steph laughed as she sat down.

"Oh, just thinking about Ace," Rory responded and chuckled

"Well I would be thinking about that sexy reporter too. How is Ace?" asked Steph.

"Good, great actually. He left yesterday on assignment to go to England then over to France. He should be back by the end of the week." Rory explained.

"I don't know how you two can plan a wedding with him flying all over the world," Steph said.

"With my wedding, I wanted Colin there beside me making all the decisions."

Rory laughed and just then the waitress came over to their table to take their order. Both girls ordered a salad and a side of bruschetta.

"So Rory, only two more months until your wedding. Are you getting excited?" Steph asked as she took a sip from her wine glass.

"Steph, I have so much to do. I'm so glad you could meet me for lunch today before we go for our dress fittings. When we finish I thought we could check on the venue, at the Loeb Boat House in Central Park. Did I ever tell you that was where Ace took me on our first date?" Rory asked.

The waitress arrived with their salads and the girls began to eat. In between bites of food the girls continued to discuss the wedding plans. Just then Rory's phone buzzed.

"Hello, Rory Gilmore speaking," Rory said as she answered the phone. Rory looked at Steph and motioned that she would step outside to take the call.

When Rory hadn't returned to the table in ten minutes Steph became worried. She looked out the door and couldn't see her. Steph motioned to the waitress for the check. She gave her money for the check and went outside looking for Rory. Rory was outside leaning against the wall of the restaurant with tears streaming down her face.

Steph ran over to her and put her arm on her shoulder. "Rory, What's wrong?"

Rory looked at Steph. "He's gone…" she whispered.

"Who's gone? What are you talking about?" Steph asked her

Rory took a deep breath. "Ace… he's dead."

Steph looked at Rory in shock. She took out her phone and called her driver. She put her arms around Rory, and Rory sobbed.

"Rory, is that what the call was about? Who called you?" Steph whispered to Rory.

Rory could barely talk. "The station, the call was from Nora."

As the two women were talking the town car pulled up. Steph guided Rory into the car and asked the driver to take them to her apartment which was not that far away.

Steph spoke softly. "Don't worry about anything, we will go back to my apartment and I will make some calls and we will get more information."

Rory just nodded her head and continued to cry. When the women got to Rory's apartment, Steph had Rory go to the couch while she poured her a glass of wine. She brought the drink over and handed it to her.

"Drink this, Rory, it might help. Who would you like me to call?" Steph said as she gave her the glass of wine.

Rory took the glass and set it on the table. She looked up at Steph with tears running down her face. "I am not sure. He promised he would come back to me. How did this happen?"

Steph put her arms around her friend and gave her a hug. Rory sobbed and kept repeating "How did this happen?" Steph got up and led Rory to the spare bedroom in their loft apartment. She told Rory to lie down and she would make some calls.

Steph shut the door and pulled out her phone. The first number she pushed was Colin's. It went right to voicemail and then she remembered that he was in court most of the day. She immediately called his office.

"McCrae and Knight Law Firm, how can I direct your call?" said a voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Kathy," Steph said to the receptionist. "This is Stephanie McCrae, can you connect me directly to Martin Knight?"

"Martin Knight here," Marty answered his phone when his secretary patched her through.

"Marty, this is Steph and I need your help. I am in the city having lunch with Rory Gilmore, and she received awful news. Could you get a hold of Colin for me? She is in shock, so I took her to our loft apartment in the city," Steph explained.

"Sure, what else can I do to help?" Marty asked. He hadn't thought about Rory Gilmore in eight years. He wondered what could have happened; it was unusual for Steph to call Colin at work.

Stephanie thought for a moment. "You know, Marty, I think you can help. I need someone to make phone calls for me. Rory wasn't in the right state of mind to ask questions or take in the information she received. We need someone who can cut through the red tape and call CBS and find out what happened."

"Umm, yeah. I'll be right there. I have nothing on my schedule that is pressing," Marty said as he was standing up getting ready to leave. "Let me get a car and I will be there in about an hour."

"Thanks, Marty, I appreciate your help."

Marty left his office and addressed his secretary as soon as he saw her." Kathy, I need you to cancel any meetings for the next few days for myself and Colin. Something important has come up and I have to go to New York. You can reach us on our cell phones, but please try to handle anything that's not urgent."

He called the car service and then got into the elevator. By the time he got down to the lobby the town car he used was parked out front.

"Hello, Rocco. Thank you for coming so quickly. I need to get to the Silver Towers at 620 West 42nd Street in Manhattan as quickly as possible," Marty said as he got into the car

"Of course, sir," Rocco said as he pulled out into traffic.

Marty picked up his phone and dialed Colin's personal cell phone. He was in a deposition meeting with some of their clients.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Out of Ashes.

Colin sighed as his phone buzzed in his pocket - this was the second interruption in ten minutes. He excused himself and got up and looked at his phone. It was Marty - it must be important because they never called each other when they were with clients. Colin stepped out of the meeting room.

"Marty? What's up?" he answered his phone.

"Colin, I got a call from Steph. I am on my way to your loft apartment in New York. She asked me to contact you. Steph was having lunch with Rory Gilmore when she received bad news; Rory's in shock."

"What sort of news? "asked Colin. Just then he noticed that a few of the courtroom guards were standing around a television set. On the bottom of the CNN report the words crawled… _CBS foreign correspondent Ace Gerrard was one of the 77 victims at the recent terrorist bombing when a truck plowed through a crowd in Nice_...

"Wait, where are you now?" Colin asked Marty.

"I left the office, why?"

"Have the car swing by and pick me up; I will be outside of the courthouse waiting."

"Okay, we should be there in about ten minutes," Marty replied before hanging up the phone.

He knocked on the partition between him and Rocco. "Rocco, we need to stop by the courthouse to pick Mr. McCrae up before leaving the city," he told his driver.

"Certainly, Mr. Knight," Rocco responded as he maneuvered the town car into the left lane to make the turn for the courthouse.

As they were making the ten-minute ride to the courthouse, Marty quickly sent a text to Steph to tell her that he and Colin were on their way. He then turned on the car radio and pushed the buttons until he got to a news channel, hoping to gain more information about what had happened.

Steph sat holding Rory while she cried. She asked her if there was anyone she wanted her to call, but Rory just sat there crying. Steph got up and poured her a glass of water after noticing that she never drank her wine. She dumped both glasses of wine down the sink and walked over to the bar poured herself a glass of scotch. How could this have happened?

She decided that she needed help to get some answers and the only one who could find out information quickly was Logan Huntzberger. She knew that Logan and Rory had not spoken in eight years. It took Rory a long time to date after she told Logan no when he proposed at their graduation. In fact, Ace was the first man she dated seriously. Up until she met him she would go on occasional dates but they never lasted more than three months. Colin and Finn had confided in Steph that Logan still loved Rory but when she said no to his marriage proposal, he was too proud to ever contact her again. Steph knew how stubborn Logan could be, but she also knew that he was loyal and would do anything to help out a friend.

She looked over at Rory and asked her if she wanted to lie down. Rory nodded her head, and Steph escorted her to the guest room and pulled the shades down. She put Rory's water glass on the night table beside the bed and helped her get into bed. She turned on the lavender diffuser that she always kept filled. She added a few drops of Peace and Calming oil hoping that would at least relax Rory and help her sleep.

Steph walked back into the front room and dialed Logan's number.

"Huntzberger, here," Logan quickly answered his personal line.

"Hey Logan, it's Stephanie," she replied.

"Hey Steph, how is married life treating you? Are you ready to give up Colin and move in here with me?" Logan joked.

"You're funny Logan, no I have to ask you for some help."

"Don't tell me, Colin bought some huge estate again in London and you want me to check it out."

"No it's not like that, it is about Rory Gilmore,"

"Rory? What happened to Rory, is she okay?" Logan replied with concern in his voice.

"No, Logan, she's not okay. Something happened today to her fiancé. She got a phone call while we were having lunch. All I can understand from her is that she took him to the airport two days ago for an assignment. She got the call, and she told me that he's gone and he's not coming back,"

"Wait, her fiancé? Tell me, was she engaged to Ace Gerrard?"

"Yes, do you know Ace?" Stephanie asked.

"Steph, he was killed in a terrorist bombing this morning outside of a cafe in Nice."

"Oh my god, Logan, no wonder she is in shock."

"Listen, Steph, I will get in touch with my contacts then I will be on the first plane over to help sort this mess out. You know you might want to contact her mother, she could help Rory."

"No, Logan, that won't help, her mother passed away ten months ago from cancer."

"Oh, no I am so sorry to hear that. I wish I had known. Okay, well can you call a doctor? I think she will need something with this happening."

"Okay, I will call Paris, and see if she can come over."

"Paris? Don't tell me you are friends with Ms. Gellar now too."

"Yes, Dr. Gellar is a respected doctor here in the city."

"And Steph, I will be on the next flight out to help."

"Logan, thanks. We are at our apartment in the City. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I know where it is. I will call Colin when I get in."

She hung up her phone and hoped that Rory wouldn't be angry with her because she called Logan. She then called Dr. Gellar.

"Dr. Gellar's office, can I help you?" said the receptionist at Paris's office.

"Yes, this is Mrs. Stephanie McCrae, this is an emergency and I need to speak to Dr. Gellar," Steph said with a forceful tone in her voice.

"Just a minute and I will see if Dr. Gellar is available to take your call," the receptionist answered. Stephanie didn't have to wait long before Paris's voice came over the phone.

"Dr. Gellar. This better be important, Stephanie, I am in the middle of seeing patients and I need to do rounds in an hour at the hospital," Paris barked into the phone.

"Paris, it is important, it's Rory," Steph said quietly.

"What's wrong with Rory?

"Paris, Ace is dead. He was killed by a terrorist bomb outside a cafe in Pairs,"

"Okay, I will be right over. Are you at her apartment? "Paris asked quickly.

"No, we are at my apartment at 620 West 42nd Street. Silver Towers," said Steph.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes, tell her I am coming."

"I will," Steph replied and hung up the phone.

Paris immediately shot a text to her husband Doyle.

" _Going over to Silver Towers 620 West 42nd St. Rory needs us. Call me when you get this message and I will fill you in."_

She quickly left her office and barked at her receptionist to cancel all her appointments - that she has an emergency and she was leaving immediately. She left her office at the hospital, grabbing her medical bag and got in a taxi.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the Silver Towers. Paris quickly paid the cab driver and rapidly walked into the lobby. She greeted the doorman and told him that Stephanie McCrae was expecting her. She got into the elevator which took her to the 40th floor where Steph and Colin's loft apartment is. She knocked on the door and Steph quickly opened it.

" Where is she?" Paris asked.

Steph brought her to the guest room and knocked at the door. "Rory, Paris is here. Would you like her to come in or would you like to come out?"

They heard Rory sniffling and shuffling to the door. She opened the door and looked at her best friend. "He's gone, Paris. He promised me he would come back."

Even though Paris was not one for affection she reached out and pulled her best friend into her arms. Paris led Rory out into the large living area and they sat on the couch. Steph went and got three glasses of water and a box of kleenex and set it on the coffee table in front of them.

Rory took a deep shaky breath and looked at her two close girlfriends. With her blue eyes filled with tears she looked at her two best friends. "What do I do now?"

Both girls look at each other and then back at Rory.

Steph spoke first. "Rory, we will help you get through this, don't worry. Who would you like me to call?"

Rory thought for a moment and then began looking around the room.

Paris said softly, "Rory what are you looking for?"

"My phone," Rory said softly. "I remember talking on it but I don't know what I did with it."

"Hon, here it is" Steph said, and she handed it to her. "You carried it into the apartment and then you set it down when I gave you your drink. "

"Oh, okay, Steph. All my contacts for work are on there," Rory said handing her phone to Steph. "Excuse me, but I think I am going to lay down, is that okay?" Rory asks.

"Of course, Rory. Do you need me to get any of your clothes from your apartment? "

"No, not yet," Rory responded.

"Who else would you like me to call?" Steph asked, and she looked at Paris.

"Umm, someone should call Ace's mother, but maybe that should be someone from work or me. Umm... maybe Luke or Jess," she said

"I will do that. Rory, take this, it will help you sleep for awhile. Your body is in shock," Paris said.

Rory took the medicine that Paris handed her and a sip from the glass of water that Steph brought out and went into the room and laid down again on the bed.

Just then the door to the apartment opened and in strode the two men. Colin went immediately to Steph and put his arms around her,

"Where is she?" Colin asked. "Oh, I am sorry Paris, hi. I didn't notice you sitting there, I guess I was too focused on Steph."

"Limo Boy, no offense taken. Hi Marty," Paris replied with a smirk. "I gave her something for her to relax and sleep, she's laying down in the bedroom."

Marty stood there not knowing what to do. Finally, he spoke. " Okay, what should we do first? Do we know who called her with the news? Would you like me to call the station or go over to get information?"

Colin was used to this Marty. He was always organized and took charge whenever there was a crisis or when a situation needed to be sorted out. He depended on him at the office. He never thought that Marty would be his closest friend now that they were adults. He remembered meeting him that day at Yale when they were walking by and saw him standing there with Rory. He purposely bumped into him and Rory called him, Logan and Finn on it.

He looked at Marty gratefully. "Why don't you make the calls to CBS, talk to her boss and other members of the press. Find out what they know and tell them that we have Rory here with us. You can go into the study in the back to make the calls, Marty."

Marty grabbed his phone out of his breast coat pocket and then left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Paris walked into the kitchen area and using Rory's phone she called Jess first then Luke. Jess was now living in New York City in midtown. He moved there when his fifth book hit best seller. He was now being published not only by Truncheon books but also by Simon and Schuster, which was part of CBS. He still was part owner of Truncheon Publishing Company and he opened Dodger Books & Records on Mercer Street, where he and his staff sell used, out-of-print and even some new books in almost any subject imaginable. They have LPS, too. Everyone he employs is a writer in some genre. Paris tried his store first.

"Dodger Books & Records, how can I help you?" a young perky voice answered the phone.

"Hello, I need to speak to Jess Mariano, is he there? Tell him it is Dr. Paris Geller, and it is very important."

"Sure," said the voice. "I will go and get him for you."

"Paris, to what do I owe this pleasure?" asked Jess when he came to the phone. It wasn't often he spoke to Paris, she wasn't his favorite person, but since she was Rory's best friend, he would see her occasionally.

"Jess this isn't for pleasure, it's about Rory," Paris said calmly in the phone.

"What's wrong with Rory?" Jess responded in alarm.

"I am with her now at Colin and Steph's apartment. Ace - he has been killed."

"What… how… when…? I just had dinner with the two of them four nights ago,"

"He was a victim of the bombing in Paris earlier today."

"Give me the address and I will be right over there," Jess answered. Paris gave him the address to Steph's apartment.

He hung up the phone and turned to his employee, April, and told him that he was leaving and didn't know when he would be back. He told her to close the store tonight and if she needed anything to contact Chris, his partner who would be in later that evening. He took off and walked quickly the short distance away. Luckily both addresses were close together.

While she was waiting for Jess, she decided to call Luke in Stars Hollow. She knew this would be a difficult call to make. Lorelai had passed away from ovarian cancer ten months ago. When they finally found out she had it, she was in the advanced stages. She lasted one year going through chemotherapy and Luke was by her side the whole time. They had only been married three years when she was diagnosed. It was not only hard on Luke but also Rory. If it wasn't for Ace, Rory wouldn't have made it through it. Ace stayed by her side, helping both Luke and Rory with the arrangements. Rory and Ace would stop by Stars Hollow and Face time him when they were on assignments. He became close to Ace, and he was very excited when the two of them told him that they had gotten engaged.

Luke was running both the diner and the Inn with the help from Michel, Sookie and Ceaser. Paris tried the diner first. She knew from Rory that Luke spent very little time at the Crap Shack since Lorelai had died and was spent most of his evenings his old apartment above the diner.

"Luke's," a gravelly voice answered the phone.

"Hey Luke, this is Paris."

"Hey Paris, How are you?"

"Luke, umm the reason why I am calling is Rory…" she never got to finish her sentence when Luke interrupted.

"Rory... what's wrong with Rory... what has happened?" Luke would never be able to forgive himself if something had happened to Rory. He promised Lorelai that he would take care of her.

"Luke, Ace was killed in the terrorist explosion today in France."

"Where is Rory now?"

"I'm with her, she was with Steph when she got the phone call and Steph brought her to her apartment. She called me and I came right over. I gave her a sedative to help her sleep. I just got off the phone with Jess and he is on his way."

"Okay, since Jess is with her tonight I will come up the first thing tomorrow morning."

While Paris was on the phone, Marty came out of the study after making his calls to CBS. He walked past the spare bedroom and heard whimpering. He knocked and walked in. He turned the lamp on the nightstand on low and called her name.

"Rory… it's me, Marty. I just want you to know that I am here for you, Rory. Whatever you need I am available anytime, day or night," he said softly.

"Marty, wow, what are you doing here? Is this a dream?"

"No, unfortunately it isn't a dream. I came here to help you."

Tears began to fill her eyes, and she looked up at him. "Thanks, Marty. Can you just hold me?" she asked.

"Of course," he answered, and he went and sat by her side on the bed.

She sat up and he put his arms around her in a hug. She laid her head on his chest and he held her. He climbed up on the bed and rested his back and shoulders on the head board and held her close to his chest. She looked up at him and smiled.

"This feels like Deja` vous," she said.

"Really? How?" he asked.

"Well, remember when we were at Yale and we would sit on the bed watching old movies together?"

"Oh yeah, now I do. Those were great times," he said softly as he stroked her hair.

They sat like that for about thirty minutes, neither of them speaking as they were both lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly she looked up at him.

"I haven't seen you in a long time," she said to him.

"It has been awhile," he replied smiling down at her and still stroking her hair.

"I didn't know you lived in the city. Who told you I was here?"

He chuckled when she said that. "I guess you didn't know that I am partners now in the McCrae Knight Law Firm. Colin and I have worked together for the last seven years. Believe it or not, we ended up being roommates at Harvard Law together."

"Now that is funny," Rory replied. "I wonder why neither of them never said anything to me about that?"

"Well probably because you have been traveling about. Hey, I just want you to know I am here for you. I will do whatever you need done."

Rory sat up and kissed him on the cheek. "Marty, thank you so much - that means a lot to me," she whispered.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Steph put her head in and was surprised to see Marty sitting with Rory on the bed.

"I thought I heard voices. Are you okay? Would you like something to eat?" Steph asked.

"You know, I am getting hungry," Rory said. She got out of the bed and Marty gently guided her out with his hand in the middle of her back.

Colin smiles when he sees Marty with her. He remembers the day in Harvard when Marty confessed to him after drinking all afternoon, how pissed he was that she dated Logan and wondered why he was never good enough for her. He wanted to tell Marty many times to call her when she was in town, but then her mother got married, and then shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer and by then Rory was dating Ace. Rory sees Colin, and he comes over and gives her a hug.

"Hey," Colin says with concern in his voice. She holds him tightly and then let's go. She looks around the room at all her friends and smiles and then she whispers, "Thank you."

Marty goes right into action. "Do you have any take out menus? I think Rory could use some food right now."

Steph went to her counter and pulled out four take out menus from some of the restaurants on the streets nearby that deliver. Steph and Marty go over to the kitchen area and discuss with each other what to order. Just then there is a knock on the door.

Colin walks to the door and looks at Steph. "That's fast, I didn't think you ordered yet." He grabbed his wallet and opened the door and there stood Jess.

Jess smirked when he saw Colin standing there." Wow I knew you liked to spend money but handing out money as soon as someone knocks on your door, that's a new one for you!" Then he clapped him on the back and the two men hugged each other.

"Come on in, we are all in the main room," Colin said.

Rory heard his voice and ran right over to him and threw herself in his arms.

Jess hugged her and mumbled in her hair. "It will be ok, I am here"

Marty looked around the room. He had no idea who this man was.

Just then Paris walked over. "Hi Jess, thanks for coming."

Rory let go of Jess and turned to her friends. Steph and Marty continued talking about the menu and then he made the call to Ollie's, a Chinese restaurant that delivered and wasn't far.

Marty walked over to Jess and shuck his hand. "Hi, I am Marty Knight, I used to go to Yale with Rory."

Jess turned to Rory. " Is this Naked Guy?"

Everyone laughed including Marty. "You will never ever let me live that down, will you?" he asked, looking at Rory.

Rory replied with a chuckle. "Well, I want you to know that you were my first naked guy that I had ever seen. So nope, I guess not."

"You left quite an impression on her, Marty," Jess chuckled.

Everyone laughed again and Rory sighed and began to feel better. They all sat down and Colin poured drinks for everyone. Soon the food came and everyone ate.

While they were getting their food, Paris pulled Jess to the side.

"I am worried about her, Jess. I called Luke, and he said he would come up tomorrow."

Jess looked over at Rory. "I know, I'm worried, too. It hasn't been that long since Lorelai died. I remember the nightmares Ace said she had after her mom died."

Just then Marty walked over to where the two of them were talking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be eavesdropping," he said, "but I didn't realize Rory's mom passed away?"

"Yes," Jess replied, "It was only ten months ago. She took it hard and Ace told me that she had a lot of nightmares for at least three weeks. "

"It took a while for her to sleep more than an hour. She lost weight and looked like a zombie. Luckily at CBS, her boss knew what was going on and contacted me. I got her an appointment with Dr. Montgomery who helped get through it. Ace took her to Europe for a while and between the trip and some valium she was able to recover," Paris added.

"I don't think she should be alone," Jess said.

"Look, I can stay with her," Marty said. "I had my calendar cleared so that I can help anyway I can."

Paris looked at him. She remembered how Marty was always at their dorm and she wondered if he still had a crush on her. Then she decided that was crazy. They were not college kids anymore. He was a successful lawyer at 33, a partner in a successful law firm. She smiled. "Well, if it isn't too much of a bother, maybe we can all take turns," she said.

Just then Steph walked over to the group. "What are you three conspiring about?"

"We were just telling Marty about Rory losing her mother ten months ago and how she had a small break down. So, we don't want her to be alone. Marty volunteered to help and stay with her," Paris said.

Steph smiled at Marty. "You know, if we all take turns that might help. But for tonight let's have her stay here. Maybe Paris and Jess can go back to her place and get some of her things. "


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Back in London, Logan was making calls to find out what happened. He also was on the phone with Colin. Logan found out that the driver shot into the crowd first while mowing people down driving a mile along the waterfront as people were gathered around waiting for a fireworks display. Ace happened to be there with some colleagues discussing his recent assignment when he pushed his friend out of the way of the truck and by doing that he was mowed down and killed. The police shot and killed the driver of the truck. The truck was filled with explosives and grenades.

Logan called Colin and shared this information, and Colin in turn told Marty. Marty had also found out some of this information when he called CBS, but Logan had the most recent details.

Colin looked over at Rory who was sitting there talking to Doyle who happened to arrive the same time as the food. She seemed to be relaxed. He didn't want to tell her the details yet. He thought he would wait another day. Logan told Colin that he would be there tomorrow. He was arriving on the corporate HPG's jet.

"Logan, are you sure you want to come? You haven't seen Rory in 9 years. I thought you were going to get married?" Colin asked.

"No, Colin, that engagement is off. I caught her with another man, and I just couldn't deal with being married to a blond bimbo like my mother," Logan replied. "I will have Finn pick me up at the airport and we will drive over to your apartment. I can crash at Finn's place." He had already called Finn earlier and told him what had happened.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he hung up the phone and placed it on the table.

He walked over to his wife and hugged her and whispered in her ear. "How do you think Rory will be if Logan comes tomorrow?"

Steph at him. "I don't know, I really don't know," she replied.

Paris and Jess went over to Rory and asked her if she knew what items of clothing she would want from her apartment.

Rory looked at them. "I'll go with you," she whispered.

"Are you sure, Ror?" Jess asked.

"Yes, if you go with me I will be okay," she said, and she got up and got her purse.

Paris walked over to Steph to tell her that Rory wanted to go back to her apartment to get her things, but she would be coming back here to sleep. Jess called an Uber and soon they were on their way.

At the apartment, Rory handed Jess her key and the three close friends walked in. Paris immediately went into the bedroom and began to take out some clothes for Rory. Opening the closet, she found her overnight duffel bag and began placing her clothes in it. She grabbed a couple pair of shoes and added them to the bag. She then found her traveling cosmetic bag and went into the bathroom and began to put the essential items in it - toothpaste, hairbrush, curling iron, hair dryer, makeup. She saw Rory's empty birth control packet in the medicine cabinet. She was going to ask her if she had refilled her prescription but was distracted when she heard a sob coming from the other room. She quickly left everything in the bathroom when she walked into the living room, she saw Rory sobbing in Jess' arms. He looked up at her and with his eyes he motioned to the photo that was taken of her, her mother, Luke and Ace the day they first met Ace.. She quickly returned to the room and grabbed the two bags. Jess and Paris led Rory back out to the waiting Uber and returned to Steph's apartment.

When they got back Jess led Rory back to the apartment carrying her bags. Paris called Steph from the lobby and told her of Rory's breakdown when she saw the picture of Lorelai, Luke with her and Ace. They decided that it would be best for the next few days that Rory stay at her apartment and that they would all take turns to stay with her.

Doyle came down and met his wife in the lobby and they went back to their place. Jess told Steph he would be back tomorrow when Luke came. Steph fixed up the study for Marty and had him spend the night there. Rory got her suitcase and brought it into the guest room. She went into the bathroom and changed. She put on a pair of shorts and a Yale t-shirt that she loved to wear at night. It had since faded but it was soft and comfortable and that was what she needed. Steph and Colin went into their bedroom and turned off the lights. Colin gave Marty his extra pair of Yale sweat pants and he put them on. He was not very tired so he turned the television on low that was in the study and began to surf the tv channels. He just found an old Marx Brothers movie when he heard a gentle knock on his door. He got up and opened it. It was Rory.

"Um Marty, I am not tired and I heard the television on, would you mind if I joined you?" she asked looking up into his eyes with her big blue eyes. He found it difficult to deny her of anything.

"Come on in, Rory, I was just going to watch an old Marx Brother's Movie," he said.

"Duck Soup?" she asked, and he smiled and nodded.

She crawled up on the bed, he then got on and leaned on the headboard next to her.

"Well this time you didn't wear that silly wig," he said to her.

"You remembered," she whispered.

"There are a lot of things I remember about you when we were at Yale," Marty confessed.

Rory looked up at him and kissed his cheek. "I am sorry Marty."

"For what?" he asked.

"For not being a good friend back then."

"Hey, you were a good friend and I am so glad that I have found you now and hope we can be good friends again," he said softly.

She snuggled into his shoulder and he put his arm around her, gently playing with her hair. He kissed her on the top of her head. "Rory, let me help you get through this."

"Thank you, Marty," she said gratefully as she looked up at him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When Rory woke up the next morning, she had no idea where she was. At first and she wasn't sure who this man was lying next to her. His hair wasn't dark like Ace, it was brown and he was much taller. He slowly rolled over towards her and he opened his eyes.

"Hi," Marty said huskily, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Oh, hi yourself," Rory whispered. "I guess we fell asleep. Thank you for letting me stay here with you last night."

"It's okay," Marty said with a grin. "Hey, do you want some coffee? I think I smell some right now." He quickly got out of bed and grabbed a t-shirt that Colin had given him. It was a little tight but it would do since he didn't want to walk out to the kitchen without a shirt on.

"Yeah," said Rory.

They both got out of bed and walked out of the room. Rory slipped into the bathroom first and then went into the kitchen. Steph and Colin were up and at the counter. Colin was talking on the phone with a cup of coffee in front of him and Steph was standing at the counter smiling when she saw both come into the kitchen area.

"Did you sleep okay?" Steph asked the two of them.

"Yeah, at first, I didn't know where I was," Rory said.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Steph asked.

"Like I am in a fog and suddenly the door will open and Ace will walk it and then I know it was all a bad dream."

"Oh honey," Steph said and she put her arms around her best friend, not knowing what else to do.

Marty came over with a big mug of coffee and handed it to her.

"I assume that coffee is still the blood that runs through your veins?" he asked.

Rory reached for the mug and smiled. She inhaled the aroma and looked at Marty. "Thank you, it still is," she replied.

Colin hung up the phone and looked at Rory. "I was just talking to your producer. He was wondering if you wanted to go to DC to break the news to Ace's family. They called his mother but they haven't personally gone down there. They would fly you down and you can bring whoever you wanted with you."

"Oh yes, I think I should go down. Maybe I can ask Jess to go with me. He knows Ace's mom and dad. He has had dinner with us many times. Colin could you call him and ask him if he could go with me?" she asked Colin.

Just then there was a quick knock at the door and in strutted Finn and Logan. Finn saw Rory immediately and went right to her. He wrapped her in his arms. "Love, I'm here. Just tell me what you want me to do."

She looked up at Finn with tears in her eyes. "Just being here means the world to me. Ace really liked you, Finn, and I am sure he would be happy to know that you rushed to be here," she whispered.

"Love, Ace was a good friend of mine too. You know that."

"I know, I forgot that your brother and he went to the same boarding school together when they were boys."

Just then Logan walked over to her. "Rory," he said quietly.

"Hi, Logan, thanks for coming. But what are you doing here?" Rory asked.

"Steph called me and told me what happened. I am sorry to hear about your fiancé. He was an amazing journalist. We had been trying to get him to join our team for a few years now," Logan said.

"Oh, I didn't know you knew him," Rory said quietly.

"Well, I never met him personally but I knew of his reputation and I followed his stories," Logan added.

Just then Finn and Logan noticed Marty standing in the room. Finn walked over to him and put out his hand. "Finnigan Morgan, but don't I know you?" he asked.

Rory burst out laughing.

"Love what is so funny, I think I know him?" Finn said, obviously confused.

Rory shook her head. "Of course, you know him Finn, he is Colin's law partner but also its Marty from Yale."

" Yes, Marty, so nice to see you again. It's been a long time. I didn't realize that you worked for Colin," Logan said with a smile.

Colin looked at Logan. "Logan, he's the Knight in McCrae and Knight Law Firm. He's been my partner for the last four years."

"Oh, sorry Mate, must be all that Scotch buzzing around in my system," Finn joked.

Just then Rory's phone buzzed. It was still on the table where she had left it last night. She looked at it and realized it was Ace's parents number. She looked at Marty, Steph and Colin and tears started to build up in her eyes. "Steph, what should I say, it's his parents," she started to sob.

Logan happened to be standing close to her at that moment and instinctively he pulled her into his arms. Holding her tightly he began to murmur soothing words to her and gently stroked her hair like he had down many years ago. He walked her to the couch and continued to hold her when they sat down. Marty picked up her phone and answered it. He explained who he was and that Rory asked if he could take a message. He listened and then brought the phone over to Rory.

"Hello" she tried to control her voice as she spoke into the phone. She listened as Ace's father spoke to her. They told her that they were on their way to NYC to be with her.

"Oh, that means so much to me," she said back into the phone and then she hung up.

"They are coming here and will stay with me at my apartment. They are going to help me make the arrangements," she explained, looking at Colin.

She looked at her friends, except for Logan and Marty these were the same friends that were beside her, Ace, and Luke when her mom passed away ten months ago. She felt blessed to have these friends here with her now. She looked over at Logan and Marty. She smiled and remembered the first time these two men met each other. Was it only twelve years ago when they first met? Eight years ago, they all separated and went their different ways but now they are back into her life. She quietly picked up her coffee mug and went over to the coffee maker and refilled her cup. She knew the hours, days, weeks and months ahead were going to be tough, but looking around the room she knew she could make it through it with the help of her good friends all standing here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Ace's parents arrived and Finn made arrangements for them to stay at one of his Family's hotels on Madison Avenue. Luke came in, too, and stayed with Jess. Logan stayed with Finn at his apartment. Rory returned to her apartment when her father Christopher came up with her sister Gigi. The three of them stayed there so that she wasn't alone.

It was the day of the memorial. Acelot Gerrard was a well-known journalist. He had received many awards and many people in the world of journalism came to pay their last respects along with many dignitaries. His father was a retired ambassador from France. As a young boy Acelot had lived in many countries, but grew up here in the US in Alexandria, Virginia. His father had become a U.S. ambassador when Ace was 17. Because his father traveled so much, Ace attended private schools. His parents enjoyed the life in Washington DC and once his term of five years as the French Ambassador to the U.S. was over they decided to stay in Washington DC. One of the things that Ace did was accompany his father when he traveled to different colleges to give lectures. His father was asked to travel to Cornell University in the small city of Ithaca, New York. Ace was beginning to prepare to choose colleges soon and went along with his father for this lecture. Ace was so impressed with this college that he applied and was accepted the following year to get his degree as a Communications major.

Rory looked at Ace's parent sitting in the front row of the church where the memorial was taking place. There was a seat for her there, but she could not get herself to walk the distance from the door to the church. Standing on either sides of her were Colin, Stephanie and Marty. Not far away stood Christopher, Luke and Jess. Logan stood over to the side with Finn.

Rory said hello to people as they walked in, hugging them and accepting their condolences. The CBS journalist and production team had all come in. As did some of Ace's closest friends that now worked for CNN and MSNBC. Chris Cuomo came over to her and held her tightly. They had become good friends and he felt like a big brother towards her since he was the one that introduced her to Ace. Rory stood there smiling but her mind was miles away.

 _Two days after that May luncheon when they met, he brought her home to meet his parents. Ace didn't tell her where they were going. Instead he told her_ _that_ _he_ _was going to_ _pick her up at 12:30 and he_ _was going to_ _bring her to his favorite place. She dressed_ _carefully_ _in a blue and white sundress and added a white cardigan and paired it with her comfortable blue wedge sandals. She was just finishing curling her hair when the buzzer went off in her apartment. Running to the intercom she buzzed him in. Within two minutes, she heard him knock and him calling. "Rory, my love, are you ready?"_

 _She laughed and smiled when she heard him call her name. He always rolled his_ _Rr_ _'s when he said it and she loved hearing it. She walked out of the bedroom and he grinned._

" _You look beautiful, my love" he said as he walked over to her and gave her a passionate kiss._

 _That was what she loved about Ace, his passion. Whether it was for his job, for life, and now for her, he always jumped into everything. They_ _quickly_ _left the apartment and got into his Jaguar XJR. They left Georgetown where her apartment was and he drove_ _easily_ _through traffic. She turned to him and asked him where he was taking her. He smiled and told her_ _that_ _he was taking her to his favorite place._

 _Soon she found themselves in a neighborhood in Georgetown on R Street._ _He_ _drove into_ _the_ _neighborhood of East Village where there were many large old homes._ _He_ _pulled into the driveway of a_ _very_ _large white colonial home._ _He_ _helped her out of the car and walked into the house yelling. "Maman, Papa!"_

" _Where are we?" Rory asked, looking at him._

 _Just then_ _a beautiful woman_ _with long grey hair that_ _was pulled_ _back in an elegant bun came into the room. "Oh Ace." She took his face between her hands and kissed him on both cheeks. "Who is this beautiful young woman you have brought for us to meet?"_

 _Ace gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Maman, this is Rory Gilmore, the young reporter I have been telling you about." Rory looked at Ace and raised her eyebrows. "Where is Papa?" he continued._

" _He is on the phone in the study, he will be out in a moment," his mother answered. "Come, come sit down and have something to drink. Wine, tea, coffee? What would you like?"_

 _Ace looked at Rory and smiled. "Coffee for us both,_ _Maman,"_

Standing near Finn, Logan had been watching her. She seemed to be in another place. He remembered that look she would get when she was thinking of something else. This was such a sad occasion, yet she still looked stunning standing there. He decided it was time to give her his condolences again.

He walked over to her side. "Rory," he said softly.

She heard the familiar voice and felt Logan pull her into a hug and, then kiss her on her forehead. Rory hugged him back. She was surprised when she had seen him at Steph's apartment the day after she found out about Ace's death. He worked closely with Colin and Marty helping to get Ace's body back here to his family and his belongings.

"Thank you for coming Logan," she said fighting back the tears.

Logan was surprised to see Marty standing so close to her. He knew he worked with Colin and was very helpful when the three of them worked on getting the paperwork together to get Ace and the other American victims back home. He wondered if they were just friends. He hoped so, because he knew now that he missed her and wanted her back in his life. He held her for awhile longer and kissed her cheek and that's when Rory started to cry again. Marty looked on and was feeling very uncomfortable. When she started to cry, Marty walked over to her and took her into his arms. Logan watched on, puzzled by their interaction.

Logan turned to Steph and as they stepped aside he asked, "What's going on between Marty and Rory?"

"Nothing, Logan. He has just been helping like we all have. When you came last week, you seemed to be surprised that Rory was engaged."

"Yes, I was. I lost contact with her. I tried to follow her stories, but I didn't realize that she was engaged to such a famous journalist. We tried to hire him a few years ago." Just then Logan noticed his dad standing by some seats near the middle of the church.

"Oh, I see my dad motioning to me, I think I will go and sit with him. Steph, do you think it will be okay if I called on Rory in a few days to just check up on her?"

Steph considered his words. "I think so, Logan. Just give her time. She was really in love with Ace, in fact we all were," she said softly.

Logan gave her a small smile and then hugged her and walked up the aisle to where his father had saved him a seat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Rory dried her eyes and Marty and Colin escorted her to the front next to Ace's parents. She walked up to the seats and sat between Luke and Ace's mother. She gave them both a tight hug, and squeezing the Kleenex between her hands she took a deep shaky breath and then sat down. The funeral was beautiful, and many people spoke about Ace, describing who he was as a son, student, reporter, friend and as a person. As people were talking Rory became lost in her thoughts.

 _She was reliving the night_ _that_ _they became engaged. It was Valentine's Day and Rory was working late in her office at CBS when Ace walked in with their favorite food from La_ _Grenouille_ _, a French restaurant that was not too far from the studio. He also had a bottle of champagne and a_ _bouquet of flowers_ _for her._ _First,_ _he set out the food. He had la bisque_ _de_ _homard_ _, the lobster bisque, for the two of them followed by les_ _ravioles_ _de_ _homard_ _à_ _l'estragon_ _et_ _beurre_ _blanc_ _, lobster and tarragon raviolis. Next, they shared la poularde_ _au_ _champagne, chicken in a champagne sauce, and for dessert he gave her_ _soufflé_ _aux fruits_ _de_ _la passion, passion fruit_ _soufflé_ _. As she opened_ _the_ _soufflé_ _Ace stopped her. He looked into those mesmerizing blue eyes and got down on his knee. She looked at him in surprise._

" _Ace, did you lose something she asked?"_

" _Yes, my sweet Rory, my heart. I have been a bachelor for many years now and I never thought I would find someone who I want to spend the rest of my life with." He took the_ _bouquet of flowers_ _and handed them to her. She looked down and in the middle of a red rose was a one and a half carat diamond ring._

" _Rory will you marry me_ _?_ _" he asked._

 _Rory looked at him with all the love in her heart and smiled. She took the flowers and leaned toward him and whispered. "Yes," she said._

 _He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms in a passionate kiss. He then took the ring_ _which was tied_ _onto the rose and slipped in onto her finger._

She looked down at the ring on her finger now. A tear slipped down her cheek and thought that a part of her had just died with him. Will she ever love someone again?

Suddenly she was aware of the people around her. Then she heard the music. The producer at CBS used their connections to bring a singer to sing the song that Rory had picked out. The song "To Where You Are" began by Josh Groban

 _ **Who can say for**_ _ **certain**_

 _ **Maybe you're still here**_

 _ **I feel you all around me**_

 _ **Your memory's so clear**_

 _ **Deep in the stillness**_

 _ **I can hear you speak**_

 _ **You're still an inspiration**_

 _ **Can it**_ _ **be**_

 _ **That you are mine**_

 _ **Forever love**_

 _ **And you are watching over me from up above**_

Oh, how she wished that she had wings so that she could fly and be with him. This hurt more than when her mother passed ten months ago. Will she be able to stay strong? She took a breath as tears slowly ran down her cheek and she continued to listen to the beautiful words…

 _ **Are you**_ _ **gently sleeping**_

 _ **Here inside my dream**_

 _ **And isn't faith believing**_

 _ **All power can't**_ _ **be seen**_

 _ **As my heart holds you**_

 _ **Just one beat away**_

 _ **I cherish all you gave me everyday**_

 _ **'Cause you are my**_

 _ **Forever love**_

 _ **Watching me from up above**_

 _ **And I believe**_

 _ **That angels breathe**_

 _ **And that love will live on and never leave…**_

Words, something that she was always good at, but now she had none. None to say to his parents or his friends. Now all she wished was to be with him.

 _ **Fly me up**_

 _ **To where you are**_

 _ **Beyond the distant star**_

 _ **I wish upon tonight**_

 _ **To see you smile**_

 _ **If only for awhile**_

 _ **To know you're there**_

 _ **A breath away's not far**_

 _ **To where you are ***_

The singer finished the song and the minister walked to the front of the casket The pallbearers slowly began to walk the casket down the aisle of the church. She took her step-fathers arm and looked at him.

 _Can she be strong, can they do this again_?

She turned and placed her hand in Ace's mother 's hand and his father placed his arm around them both embracing them in a hug. Then they slowly left their seats and walked following the casket. She is leaning on Luke and his mother leaning on her husband, both women visibly crying and their bodies shaking with their sobs of grief.

A reception was held at The Morgan, a hotel that Finn's family owned. He took care of the reception and made sure everything was perfect. The casket was taken to a crematorium. His ashes will then be flown back with his parents to their home town outside of Paris to the family mausoleum. They had asked Rory to go with them but she couldn't. It would be too difficult for her to go to their chateau in Provence. Maybe someday she would, but for now she wanted to live with his memory of how he looked the day he left. She walked around the reception lost, accepting condolences and wondering how she could go on when he was lost. Hugging many of their friends she mumbled words but not remembering what she said. Music was softly playing in the background. She suddenly became aware of the words to the song that was playing.

 _ **Goodbye my lover.**_

 _ **Goodbye my friend.**_

 _ **You have been the one.**_

 _ **You have been the one for me.**_

She was standing in front of Marty when she heard these words, then she spoke the words out loud as the singer said these last three words...words that expressed how she felt.

" _ **I**_ _ **'m so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.**_

 _ **I**_ _ **'m so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.**_

 _ **I**_ _ **'m so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.**_

 _ **I**_ _ **'m so, I'm so, I'm so hollow. " ****_

Marty reached out and pulled her into his arms and she clung to him, not crying. She felt safe in his embrace.

AN: I am inspired by music and in my story, you will find lyrics from songs that seem to express the feelings of the characters.

*" To Where You Are" by Josh Groban

** "Good Bye My Lover" by James Blunt.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It has been two weeks since the funeral service for Ace. His death was a senseless random act of violence. She was given time off of work so he spent her days in their apartment. It has become a habit of hers to go into his closet and wear his shirt. She would get up, take a shower and then go into his closet and put on one of his shirts and smelling his scent she felt comforted. She barely eats but exist on coffee. When she does eat she becomes sick. She can't bring herself to use their French press coffee pot where he would make her a cup of coffee each morning. Someone calls her every day to check on her. She occasionally talks to Jess or Stephanie on the phone. Logan has been calling her twice a day since the funeral. At first she would answer his calls but now she doesn't answer them. He had left to return to London but was making it a habit to call her daily leaving her messages. His messages made her smile but she wasn't ready for the tornado of energy that was Logan Huntzberger. She needed calm, quiet,a time to grieve, time to wallow.

She thinks back often of her life these last two year. She had met Ace who came into her life when she needed it the most. Luke and Lorelai had been married for 3 years and she had decided that she would take a permanent job at one newsrooms. The News Director at CBS had been in contact with her so she decided to go to the Correspondent luncheon that was held in Washington DC.

 _She has taken her seat at the luncheon when Ace comes and stands beside her. He looks at her. "I hope you have saved this seat for me," he said.._ _Before she could respond he placed his glass of bourbon on the table and sat beside her. He looked at her empty martini glass and motioned to the waiter._ _"Please bring my lovely girl friend another drink, vodka martini with a twist?" He said looking at Rory for confirmation._ _"Yes, and thank you. Girl friend, huh? You are presumptuous, Mr. Gerrard," Rory said looking him straight into his dark eyes._ _"Well you are a girl and soon to my my friend," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. He took her hand and gently kissed it letting his lips linger longer in a long caress._ _Rory slowly pulled her hand out of his and smiled. "You know I have met and dated many men but no one is as smooth as your one liners."_ _At that point Ace started laughing. "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were not like anyone else. You're not only beautiful, but smart. You have the eyes of an enchantress. I could get lost in them," he said gazing into her big blue eyes._

The Keurig beeped bringing her out of her haze, a haze that seemed to stay with her every day. Will these memories fade? Will the pain in her heart be as sharp ten days, ten months or ten years from now as they are today?

Just then her phone rang. It was Marty. She smiled as she answered it.

"Hi," she said softly into the phone.

"Hi yourself," Marty said as he sat back and relaxed in his leather chair in his office. "I was wondering if you might like some company. I am heading into the city for a meeting. I could bring some chinese food. I have a bunch of old DVD's hanging around and I thought…"

"Yes," she answered quickly.

"Yes? To Chinese food, a movie and company tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be great," she said.

"Great, I will call you after my meeting. I will see you tonight," Marty said smiling.

"Yes, I will see you tonight," she said. She hung up the phone and sighed. She knew it was time to see people again. She knew she had to get back to work and to live. Her mother would not want her to sit here wallowing and she knew her Ace would want her to live on.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Two months have now passed since her beloved Ace was killed in France. Rory returned to work as an assistant producer for the CBS news desk. She spends long hours working there and recently has asked to be placed on the evening and late-night news. She finds it hard to go back to her apartment and sleep there at night. Living in Manhattan, she finds that it comes alive at night so after work she goes out with some of her colleagues to the Hamilton where they have a few drinks, talk and eat. It was a Friday afternoon when Finn called to tell her that he was back from his travels and wanted to know if she would like to meet him for a drink after work. Since she didn't want to go home that night she told him that she would. He suggested that they meet at 10:00 in the Manhattan Cricket Club. She arrived and followed the hostess to where Finn was waiting for her. It helped that Finn owns this club and restaurant. Finn watches her walk in. She looks tired and wonders if she has been getting much sleep. As she approaches he walks towards her and gives her a big hug and a kiss. He leads her to the leather couch for them to sit on while waiting for the others to join them. Finn doesn't tell her, but he has let Colin and Stephanie know that he was meeting her here. Finn, Colin and Steph were concerned. They remembered how she acted when her mother died, so this time they wanted to make sure they kept her busy. Earlier that evening, Finn heard a knock on his door while he was getting ready to leave. He knew it couldn't be Rory because she was meeting him at the Club. Finn opened the door and there stood Logan. When Logan saw that he was dressed to go out, Finn asked him to join him.

As Rory was sitting on the couch she was looking around. The bar looks like a speakeasy and the waitresses were wearing flapper-style dresses. Finn had the mixologist, Jason, make her a Chocolate Mezcal custom cocktail. She takes a sip and smiles at Finn.

"Oh, my goodness Finn, this drink is amazing!" Rory says.

Just then Logan appears. "Rory, I didn't know you would be here tonight. Do you mind if I join you?" Logan asks.

Rory wonders if the two men had planned this. She wouldn't put it past them since they were so close. Rory looks at Finn and raises her eyebrows. He spreads out his hands and shrugs his shoulders. She moves over closer to Finn and Logan sits down.

Rory takes another sip of her drink and looks at Logan. "Hi Logan, I didn't know that you were back in the city," she said as she gave him a hug.

Just as he went to speak a waitress appears beside him and places a bottle of Macallan and two glasses on their table She shakes her head and remembering the two of them at college. Things haven't changed much for these two men. Both men kept themselves in excellent shape despite their drinking and their lavish lifestyles and still are very handsome.

"I arrived yesterday," Logan replied as he poured himself a drink. "I called your phone and then stopped by your apartment around 7:00, but apparently you weren't home."

"Oh, well I was still at the studio," she said. "I find myself working the later news broadcast lately and usually I don't look at my phone until I get off from work."

Finn looked at Rory with sadness in his eyes. He hugged her and said, "Well, Love, now that I am home I will make sure that I keep you busy at night."

"Finn Morgan!" Rory said with laughter in her voice. "I hope you are not implying what I think you are implying. I am not going to be the one to keep you warm and busy at night."

The three friends started to laugh. Finn was glad to see her smile again. As they were enjoying each other's company, the waitress came over and ask if they would like another drink.

"Morgan, could you please ask Jason to see me, I would like him to design a special drink for my girl tonight," Finn said.

She looked Rory up and down and gave her a frown. Logan noticed that right away and started to laugh.

"Finn, I don't think that Morgan is very happy that you have your arm around A… Rory," he corrected himself before calling her Ace.

Finn laughed. "She isn't my type anyway, I like the brunettes with big blue eyes."

Rory was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, she wasn't sure if Finn was teasing or meant something more - something she wasn't ready for. Just then Colin, Stephanie, Rosemary, Juliet and Marty walked in.

"It's about bloody time, mates. What took you so long?" he said to his friends.

As they took seats on the adjoining couches, Morgan and Jason appeared. The girls looked at Jason who appeared to be their age with brown hair, broad shoulders and tattoos on his arms. He smiled and winked at them.

"Mr. Morgan, how can I help you tonight," he said as he reached out his hand to shake Finn's.

"Well, I have reserved a room in the back and I was wondering if you would be our personal mixologist tonight?"

"Sure, I will be more than happy to, let me clear it with Max, the head mixologist, first," he replied.

"No worries, it has all been taken care of." Finn turned to his friends and grabbed Rory by the hand. "Okay, mates, let's follow Jason to our private room."

Morgan was ready to follow and continue to wait on them in the private room but Finn stopped her. "Don't worry, love, Jason will be taking care of us." He handed her a $100 bill and turned to follow the group.

They entered another room in the back. Jazz music was playing and Jason went right to the bar. "So, what can I make you?" he asked the group.

Finn looked at his friends. "The ladies will have your magical potions and the guys will all have the usual bottle of Macallan," he said.

Marty took a seat on one side of Rory and Logan took the seat on the other side of her. Suddenly the music played a slow song; before Rory could say anything, Finn grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor. "Come on, love, let's show them how to dance," he said.

Rory and Finn started to dance. Looking at Finn, she began to wonder what had gotten into him? He never acted like this before towards her. Is he drunk? She glanced over and noticed that both Marty and Logan were watching her closely. Colin was talking to them both trying to keep their attention. She was about to say something to him when the music stopped and she felt the presence of someone behind her.

"Mind if we cut in?" they both asked. It was Colin and Stephanie.

They switched partners and now she was dancing with Colin. After a few measures of the music that they were dancing to, she looked Colin in the eyes. "Okay, what gives?"

"What, nothing?" he replied in mock innocence.

"Colin McCrae, don't give me that line - I have known you too long. What do you and Finn have up your sleeve? Finn has been acting possessive towards me all night."

"Rory, Rory, Rory, can't your two favorite friends from Yale ask you to dance without thinking that we have an ulterior motive?" he said with a smirk.

"Ugh," she sighed. "Remember, I know you two and I know that something is up."

The music changed, and the tango started. Colin twirled Rory into Finn's arms and they started to do the tango. She looked at up at him. "Finn, all you're missing is that gorilla mask. What is going on?!" she said.

At that point, he started chuckling. "Love, I can never get anything past you. Tonight, it seems that there are two possible suitors waiting to take you away. Colin and I are very aware of both of their intentions and we want to make sure that you have fun before they try to distract you."

She smiled at Finn and he dipped her. She considered his amazing blue eyes and when he pulled her close to him she kissed his cheek. "Thank you for being my guardian angel," she whispered.

"It's my job. I promised Ace before he left that I would watch over you. He knew you were getting stressed with the whole wedding thing…. So, I am doing my job like I promised."

Kissing her on the cheek he whispers, "I miss him too, Rory."

Rory's eyes filled with tears and she stopped dancing. Finn took her hand and led her to the ladies' room, knowing that she needed time to compose herself before joining their friends. In the ladies' room, she remembered that Steph had contacted the wedding planner and cancel everything. The only thing she couldn't cancel was her wedding dress. Now it hangs in her closet as a reminder of what could have been. She cries every time she looks at it. Walking to the sink Rory splashes water on her face and then leaves the ladies room. Finn was right there waiting for her. He put his arm around her pulling her into a hug.

"Feeling better now? "he asked as he held her.

"Will I ever feel better, Finn?" she replied.

"In time, love, in time."

They walked back to their group arm and arm. A new drink was placed in front of her by Jason.

It smelled like coffee and chocolate. "I call it the Rory. It has coffee vodka, Kahlua, chocolate syrup and whipped cream with a little bit of spice, just like you," he winked as he handed her the drink.

"Wow, thank you… Finn, did you tell him how much I liked coffee?" Rory asked.

"No, actually it was me," Logan said.

"Oh, well thank you, Logan." She took a sip and her eyes went big. "Wow, Steph, you have to taste this… it's amazing. You girls all need to have one!" she exclaimed.

The three other girls all ordered their Rorys, and the group sat around talking and laughing. She got up a few more times to dance with Logan, Marty and the girls. But when a slow song came on Finn was right by her side before the other two men could dance with her. She and Finn had been dancing for a while and she looked up at Finn. "I hate to be a party pooper, but I need to get home. "

"No problem." He danced her to the other side of the bar away from the vision of his friends and pulled out his phone. He quickly punched in the numbers for his service and spoke to them.

"Okay, love, your chariot awaits. Let's go and say our goodnights." He then escorted her to the limo, and they both got in.

"Finn, I am sure I can get home myself," Rory started to say.

Finn interrupted. "No worries, I am going to make sure you get home safely, then I am going back to my apartment. You know if you need me, just call."

When the car pulled up to her place, the chauffeur opened the door for them. Finn exited first then helped Rory out of the car. He walked her to the elevator. She turned and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Finn, I don't know what I would do without you," she told him.

He smiled down at her. "Anytime, love," he said softly. Then he walked out and got into the limo. She watched it pull away before getting into the elevator to head up to her empty apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Rory tossed and turned all night and at ten the next morning, the phone for her apartment rang. She answered the phone that connected to the lobby.

"Yes," she said into the phone.

"Miss Gilmore, there is a Mr. Huntzberger here," said Jonathan at the front desk.

"Okay, thank you, Jonathan. It's okay, let him come up to my apartment."

Rory quickly ran into her bedroom and changed out of Ace's shirt that she slept in and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She went into the bathroom and pulled her hair into a ponytail as she quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth. Her stomach was feeling unsettled, and she wondered if it was because of the drinking she did last night. She hadn't had that much to drink in the last three months and maybe those fancy drinks were too much for her. As she was thinking about that, she heard the knock at the door. She looked through the peephole and saw that it was Logan standing there with a bag of food and two coffees. She smiled as she opened the door. She led him into her apartment. He walked in and looked around it and saw the pictures of her and Ace on the table in front of the windows. He also noticed a picture of her and her mother and another of her mother and Luke. He turned and looked at her and smiled.

"Well, I brought your favorite hangover food - tacos and coffee," he said with a smirk.

She grinned. "You remembered."

"Of course, I remember. I remember a lot about us," he replied.

He set it on her counter and began to unwrap the food. He took the lid off the coffee and she got out two mugs to pour the coffee in. Suddenly, the smell of the coffee and tacos overcame her, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She looked at Logan in surprise and she put her hand over her mouth and quickly ran into the bathroom. She made it in time and whatever was in her stomach came up. She was sitting on the floor when she heard him come in. She went to say something but began to heave again. He turned on the sink and took a towel and quickly got it wet. He put it on her neck and held her hair while she continued to heave. She looked up at him with her blue eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Logan. I don't know what came over me," Rory whispered.

"Hey, it's okay. Do you feel like you can walk?" he asked. She tried to get up, but he bent down and gently lifted her into his arms. He was going to bring her to her bed, but he hesitated. This was the bed she had shared with her dead fiancé. He was not going to put her there. He wanted to hold her so he carried her to the couch. He sat down with her in his lap and held her. He gently kissed her forehead. He held her like that for a while then looked down at her.

"How about I make us a cup of tea and some toast?" he suggested.

"That sounds good, but I don't have any tea bags, or bread. There might be some bagels in the freezer though," she said.

He got up off the couch and gently set her back down, lifting her legs so that she was reclining. He walked over to the refrigerator and opened her freezer. Just like he remembered when they were living together, there was a box of waffles in the freezer and two frozen bagels. He opened the cupboard and found boxes of Pop-Tarts of different flavors lining her cupboard. He started laughing.

"I see your choice of food hasn't changed much in the last 9 years, Ace - oh, I mean Rory."

"It's okay, you can call me that, I know it was your special name for me and I know you say it out of love because you still care for me," she says looking at him.

He walks over to her and sits beside her. He so wants to kiss her but knows after talking with Finn last night that she isn't ready for that yet.

"Are you feeling any better yet?" he asks. "How about you go and take a quick shower and I will call and make reservations at Alice's Tea Cup. Can you be ready to go in ten minutes?"

"Really, Logan, have you forgotten? I need at least thirty minutes," she smirked.

She quickly went into the bathroom after grabbing some capris and a white top. She was showered, dressed, with makeup on and her hair dried in twenty-five minutes. She walked out of her room and he was sitting on her couch watching CNN news.

She smiled at him. "I see you are still a news junkie, Logan."

He laughed. "Just checking out the competition."

When he said that she looked at him quizzically. "Competition?" she asked.

"Yes, I will explain it to you in the car," he said.

They took the elevator down to the lobby and she smiled at Jonathan as he held the door of the building for them. They walked out to the street and there was Frank, Logan's driver that he had when they were in college, standing beside the town car.

"Frank," she said as she gave him a hug. "It's so good to see you again."

"Yes, it is, Miss Rory. It has been a long time," he replied as he hugged her back.

He opened the door for them. Rory slid over to let Logan in beside her. Frank got in and Logan asked him to take them to Alice's Tea Cup on West 73rd Street. As they were driving over there, she looked at Logan.

"You were going to explain to me about competition," she said.

"Yes, well I am moving back to New York, and my part of HPG is buying a television station," he said proudly.

"Oh, well that is great news, I guess. When did your father agree to this?"

"Well, actually I have been buying up shares of HPG for the last seven years. I decided that I should have my own part of the business. Since there is a big market for online journalism today and the news is so important it seemed right that HPG become involved with that. I convinced the board to help me purchase the Eye News portion of the cable companies. So, we are going to base ourselves here in New York and I am looking at offices to lease studio space at York Studios in Queens."

"Wow!" she exclaimed, "But Logan, who have you been buying shares from. I thought that HPG was private and not on the public market."

"Well, from my Aunt and Uncle. When I explained my vision for the news company they were excited and wanted to help." He added.

They pulled up in front of the Alice's Tea cup and he guided her inside. She was amazed at the choices that they had here. Her stomach was still rebelling but the smell of tea for some reason was soothing to her, so she decided on some tea and scones. Logan ordered a large pot of English breakfast tea for them, scones, and a BLT for him. She looked at the mixed berry salad and decided that she might like that too.

They sat and talked comfortably about his vision of the news studio that he wanted to produce and where he was thinking of moving to in the city. The tea came, and the waitress poured it into the cups for the two of them.

"Now, who would've thought that I would be sitting here sharing a pot of tea with you," he said as he raised his cup in a mock salute to her.

"I guess that _Rory_ Jason made me last night is just not agreeing with me today. I don't think I will have a cup of coffee or tacos for a while. Sorry, Logan," she said with a laugh.

"Hey, I would rather be sharing a pot of tea with you at this beautiful cafe anyway," he said. They continued drinking their tea and eating the food they ordered. As she drank her tea, her stomach began to feel better. When they finished Logan got the check, and they walked out.

"Where to, Rory?" he asked as he guided her to the town car that was waiting for them.

She felt like walking." Logan, it is such a beautiful day - let's walk over to Central Park."

"Okay," he said.

He walked over to Frank and told him their plans. He told him that he would call them when he needed him. He turned to Rory and gently took her hand and they began to walk down 73rd to Central Park West. As they got down to the corner he saw the horses and carriages. He grabbed her hand and walked over to a carriage with a beautiful black horse. He paid the driver, and they got in the carriage. The driver drove them around the park giving them a tour and a history of the park during their hour-long ride. They stopped and got off, taking pictures of themselves in front of the fountain and the lake. She began to get sleepy and closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her face. As they got close to Loeb Boathouse, she opened her eyes. As the driver went around the corner moving closer to the venue, she thought she saw Ace standing holding the door open for a woman in a white dress. She opened her phone and looked on the date. She had blocked out this day in her mind, hoping that she would sleep through it. Today was supposed to be her wedding day, and here she is in a carriage with Logan.

She quickly looked at Logan. "Logan, I have to go home. Please can we go now? Can we have the carriage bring us back?" she whispered.

Logan looked at her in surprise. He saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Sure, Ror, anything," he said.

He quickly asked the driver to turn the horse around and let them off at the closest corner of the park. The driver brought them over to 5th Avenue. Logan paid him extra and then called Frank. By the time Frank got there Rory had started to shake. Logan was holding her tightly against his chest, hoping that the shaking would stop. Frank helped get her into the car and gave Logan a blanket to wrap around her. Logan told Frank to bring them back to her apartment. When they got there, he walked her to the elevator. Arriving on her floor he took her key she gave him and led her into the front room. He looked worried.

"Logan, I will be alright," she said. "I think I will go and lay down. You can go, I'll be okay," she repeated.

"It's no problem, I can stay," he said with concern in his voice.

"No really, please go. I think I will sleep for a while."

"Okay, I will call you later," he said as he lifted her chin so he could look into in her eyes. "And I expect you to answer the phone or I will be back over here."

"Okay, I promise," she said.

He kissed her on her forehead and left. She locked the door and walked into her bedroom. She took the photo of Ace that she slept with every night out from under her pillow, laid down with it and cried.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

She felt like she was laying there for hours but it was only fifteen minutes when her phone buzzed in the other room. She thought it was probably Logan, so she ignored it. Suddenly she heard knocking at her door. She pushed herself off her bed, still holding Ace's picture in her hands.

"Boy, can't Huntzberger understand I need to be alone?" she thought to herself.

"I'm coming," she yelled as she walked out of her room and opened the door.

Without looking through the peephole she pulled open the door. "What do you want now? Oh, Stephanie, I'm sorry. I thought it was Logan again."

"Logan?" Steph asked. "Was he here?"

"Yes, he came around 10:00 this morning bringing me coffee and tacos thinking I had a hangover. But then I got sick," she explained.

"Wait, you got sick?" Steph asked with concern on her face.

"Yes, it was funny I felt okay until he opened up the coffee and the tacos that he brought. As soon as I smelled them I ran into the bathroom and got sick. He followed me into the bathroom put a wet towel on the back of my neck and carried me to the couch and held me," Rory continued, telling Steph what happened.

Steph looked at her while she was explaining everything, wondering what Logan's end game was. She knew he had deep feelings for her, but first and foremost Logan always had a reason for what he does.

"Well, how are you feeling now? It looks like you have been crying. Did he try to do something?"

Rory looked at her and started to chuckle. "No, actually Logan was a perfect gentleman. When I told him, I wanted to leave Central Park, he had the carriage driver drop us off on Fifth Avenue where Frank picked us up and brought us back to my apartment."

"You went to Central Park today? Why, Rory?"

"I don't know, it was my idea. I had blocked the date from my mind. It wasn't until we got close to Loeb Boathouse. I thought I saw Ace holding the door open for a woman wearing a white dress. Suddenly, I pulled out my phone and looked at my calendar. How ironic, here I was in Central Park in a carriage, with Logan on the day I was supposed to marry Ace. I began to panic and had to leave. If I could I would have jumped out of the carriage and run all the way home."

"Oh, Rory," she said soothingly as she pulled her into her arms.

Rory started to cry again.

"Okay, no wonder I couldn't reach you this morning. So, this is what we are going to do. We are going to the Hamptons. Pack your bag, call your office and tell them you will be gone until Wednesday. I know you still have vacation time and you need to use it."

"Steph, I can't do that. What if an important story breaks? Charlie, Nora, and Gayle depend on me," Rory protested.

"Don't worry, your assistants can handle it. Go - call now," Stephanie firmly stated.

Rory reached over to the table and picked up her phone to make the call. Her boss had no problem with her taking off for five days. In fact, she had originally planned on taking off a month for her honeymoon, so he suggested that she take an extra week. He had been worried that that she came back to work too soon, and she was spending to many long hours at the studio instead of going home.

She hung up and then went into her room. Steph followed her and they began to pick out things for her to bring. When she was packed, Steph picked up Rory's phone and recorded a new message on it.

"Hi Rory, has gone away for a few days. Please leave a message If this is an emergency. please call the office of McCrae and Knight," she said into the phone, recording the new outgoing message.

"Okay, here's your phone back. The only rule is that your phone will be off unless we hear from Marty or Colin that there is an emergency. Oh, and grab your passport. We just might take the plane and go to the Bahamas or Bermuda," she said.

Rory walked to her desk drawers. She pulled out her passport and saw the tickets for their honeymoon. Choking back her tears, she grabbed her laptop, passport and followed Steph out the door. They left her apartment and got in the waiting town car. Steph told the driver to take her to LaGuardia where the M&K helicopter was waiting to take them to her private home on the North Shore.

As they were in the car driving to LaGuardia, Rory decided that she better send a text to Luke, Paris and Jess to let them know that she was okay. She told them that Steph kidnapped her and took her to her place in the Hamptons. She will be gone for a couple of weeks but they could get in touch with Steph if they needed her.

When that was done she powered down her phone and looked out at the window at the busy traffic. Having a private plane had its advantages, and they did not have to wait to unload or go through security. The car drove them right on the tarmac to their private helicopter that was waiting for them. The pilot took their bags and the two ladies got in the helicopter, placing the headphones on before the pilot took off. In minutes, they were hovering over New York City and the Long Island Sound. Rory looked down at the city and she saw the Statue of Liberty with the ferries taking the tourist to the statue and Ellis Island. She watched the parade of cars heading on the expressway and was relieved that they were not in that traffic.

They landed not far from Colin and Steph's home. A car was there ready to pick them up. When they arrived, Rory was amazed at the size of the house. The house was on Kings Point and it was on two and a half acres of land. It has seven bedrooms and a pool that faced the water. All the main rooms on the first floor faced the water, and it had a sunken living room. A spiral staircase took you to the bedrooms upstairs. Stephanie explained that Colin was on one of his spending sprees three years ago when he was visiting friends who were renting this place and decided to buy it. There were three bedrooms on the lower floor and four upstairs with balconies which offer amazing views of their property and of the water. She took her to a bedroom on the lower floor. This one was right off the pool and had its own private bathroom. Rory began to unpack her things and made her way up to the kitchen. Stephanie was there pulling out vegetables, hummus, pita chips and a variation of fruit and cheeses.

"Are you hungry, Rory? Would you like something to drink?"

"I would really like a glass of water," Rory said.

"Rory, help yourself while you're here. You know I don't stand on ceremony. The water bottles should be in the smaller fridge write under the bar," Steph said as she pulled out the glasses and a pitcher of iced tea.

Rory opened the bottle and took a long drink. "Thanks, I really needed that."

"So, let's go sit on the deck and talk," Steph said.

Rory followed Steph on the deck that overlooked the pool and the water. It was so relaxing here. She was glad that Steph suggested it.

"Rory, I just want you to know that Colin is bringing Marty out with him. Finn is already out at his place so maybe we can have a barbecue or something, if that is okay."

"Steph, what about Logan? Is he invited too?"

"I don't know. Colin and I talked about this on our way home last night. We had no idea that Logan was back. Do you know why he is here? I thought he was living full time in London?" Steph responded.

"He told me that he was relocating to New York City and was looking at York Studios to rent space. He is starting his own news production company," Rory said.

"Hmm, that is interesting. Well, maybe the guys know more about it. So, you don't mind if Marty comes and spends the weekend or longer with us?"

"No, of course not. I like Marty. He has been wonderful these last few months. He will call and check up on me and he even came into the city and we watched movies and had Chinese takeout," Rory said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The girls relaxed on the porch and enjoyed the view and the cool breeze off the water. They decided to go and use the pool and both girls went inside and got their suits on. Rory was no longer modest about the style of bathing suit she would wear - Ace made sure of that. In fact, when they went to Europe he took her to a few nude beaches. At first, she was so embarrassed, but then he reassured her how beautiful she was and it was natural that soon she felt comfortable on those beaches. He bought her many string bikinis, and she put his favorite on. It was a cobalt blue bikini with a sarong and it made the blue in her eyes stand out.

The girls were by the pool when Marty and Colin walked out on the deck. They had followed the music and the chatter. Both girls were sun bathing lying on their stomachs with their tops off.

"Now this is a sight I love to see when I come home," Colin teased. "My beautiful wife and her best friend topless. Life doesn't get any better than this, Marty."

"Well, Rory, I don't have a robe but I could offer you my coat. Then I think we can call this even," Marty teased.

Rory looked up at the two men and laughed. The old Rory would have run and hide but Rory sat up and calmly put her top back on. Steph did the same and gave the men a smirk.

"Ladies, don't let us stop your sunbathing," Colin said. "I think we will go in the house and change into our trunks and join you."

Colin led Marty back inside and led him downstairs to the bedroom that was closest to the jacuzzi. Soon they both returned in their swim trunks and drinks in their hands.

"I made some drinks for all of us. It seems like a good Tom Collins day," he said as he placed the drinks on the patio table.

"Thanks, Colin, but I think I will stick with water," Rory answered.

"Hey, what's up with that? You were enjoying those drinks last night, or maybe you prefer the way Jason the mixologist makes the Rory," Colin teased.

They all laughed and Rory walked over to the table and sat down with her bottle of water.

"No, it's not that. I just - well my stomach doesn't really want alcohol today," Rory responded.

Marty walked over to where Rory was sitting and sat beside her. He turned to her. "Ror, are you ok?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Yes, maybe it's the flu or something. But I am tired. I guess going out last night and then lying in the sun has worn me out," she said.

"Well, you haven't had anything to eat either," Steph said to her. "Come on, you and I are going to make pizzas. Colin, get the grill started. I have all the fixings ready in the kitchen."

Colin walked over to his grill and fired it up. The two girls walked into the kitchen. Steph went into the big refrigerator and took out the toppings for the pizza. She then walked over to the counter where she had four cookie sheets covered with towels. The two girls carried the items out to the bar beside the grill. Stephanie had Colin take the pizza dough and start grilling each side. He then took them off the grill and they all added different toppings to their pizzas. The aroma was great. Colin opened a bottle of red wine and they all sat down to enjoy the food. Again, Rory didn't drink the wine and instead of eating the pizza she was eating the salad and raw vegetables that were toppings for the pizza. Steph and Colin looked at her funny.

"Rory, are you ok?" Colin asked. "I have never seen you eat a salad when there was pizza around."

Rory looked down at her plate and was surprised that she was eating it. "I don't know but it seems more appealing to me tonight. It is what I am craving."

Steph looked up at Rory. "Rory have you been feeling sick for very long?"

" On and off for about a week, but today is the first time I got sick, why?" Rory asked.

"Oh nothing, excuse us guys," Steph said as she grabbed Rory's hand and led her upstairs to the master bedroom.

She went into her bathroom and took out one of the pregnancy tests she has kept on hand for the last three months.

"Steph, why are you handing me this test?" Rory asked.

"Rory, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Have you had your cycle since Ace passed away?"

"Umm you know, now that you mention it I don't think so. Wait, could I be pregnant?"

"Well there is only one way to find out."

Rory took the kit and went into the bathroom. After three minutes, she walked out carrying the stick. She looked down at the stick and she was in shock. Steph looked at it too. It was two pink lines. Rory started crying again. She was carrying a child, her Ace's child but he wouldn't be there to see it grow. If he was alive, today she would have been able to share this with him, on their wedding day…. But now she was in her best friend's bedroom sharing the news with her…. crying.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Rory woke up the next morning with the feeling that she was going to be sick. She quickly ran to the bathroom that was by her room. She was sitting there on the cool floor thinking what should she do. It must be the pregnancy because she remembered Paris being sick during her two pregnancies. Paris…. maybe she should call Paris. She would know what to do and say. Paris, if anything, was brutally honest and what she needed right now was honesty. She had stopped making her Pro/Con Lists shortly after she met Ace. It was after meeting his parents that she decided that she could make her own decisions.

 _Sitting on her couch with her yellow pad in her lap, Ace leaned over and asked, "Mon Amour, what are you doing? Writing another article?"_

" _No, I am making a pro/con list," Rory stated._

" _What? Je ne_ _comprends_ _pas! Why do you need such list?_ _"he_ _said as he grabbed the paper from her._

" _Ha!_ _ **Pro -**_ _he is intelligent, handsome, and passionate about life and his work. His family is wonderful, sweet kind and accepting of me._ _ **Con -**_ _he travels too much, another long-distance relationship,_ _"he_ _read from her list. He tore the paper from the pad and grabbed a sharpie that was on the table. Grabbing her wrist, he wrote "_ _ **I LOVE U".**_

" _What are you doing?" she protested as he wrote on her wrist._

" _I am writing the only thing you need to remember, Mon Amour. With me there is no pro/con list. You_ _are going to_ _be my wife,_ _comprenez_ _vous? I have waited my life for a woman like you. Work, travel, pas_ _un_ _problème_ _du_ _tout. You have told me that CBS wants you to work in New York City. Fine, I will go too and work for them."_

" _But, Mon Amour, you can't change your life for me? I am not worth it."_

" _What is this? You're not worth it?! Rory_ _, to me_ _you are worth everything. My life is your life. Together we can be happy, forever."_

Leaning her head against the porcelain bowl she thinks, where is my forever now? He is my love, my life and together we created a new life growing inside of me. What should I do?

She got up off the floor and looked in the mirror. She turned and looked at the tub. She walked over and began to fill it. Steph had left bath supplies out for her. Pouring the lavender scented liquid into the tub, she slowly took off Ace's shirt that she wore to sleep in and climbed in. She let herself soak and relax until the water began to cool. She stood up, and turned on the shower as she let the bathwater run out of the drain and rinsed herself off. Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed two towels wrapping her hair in one and the other around her, she returned to the room. Her room faced the east and she saw a beautiful sunrise. She quickly dressed into a sundress and pulled her hair into a braid that hung down her back and walked outside. Sitting there she relaxed. Yes, she decided she needed to call Paris and talk to her. Maybe Jess too, he always knew what to say to her. Both knew her and in their own way loved her no matter what stupid decision she has ever made. Sitting there looking at the sun she decided. No, she was not going to make a pro/con list - instead she was going to live her life the way fate has set for her.

Suddenly she heard the sliding glass door behind her open. She turned and it was Marty.

"Good morning, how are you feeling this morning? Steph told me you were exhausted and that's why you went to bed early last night," he said as he sat beside her in another deck chair.

"Well, okay I guess," she replied. Looking at him she wondered if she should tell him or wait. Yes wait, she thought, until I speak to Paris and Jess.

"How would you like a cup of coffee, I was just going to get one when I noticed movement outside on the deck," he said to her.

"Ummm no coffee, maybe some water?" she said.

"Ok I will be right back with a pitcher of water and a cup of coffee and we can sit and enjoy the sunrise, that is if you don't mind having some company."

"No, actually I would like some company."

Marty got up from his chair and walked into the main house. Up above on the second floor Colin woke up after hearing voices below. He looked out his bedroom window and smiled. He saw Marty talking to Rory and walking towards the main house. He turned to his wife and shook her.

"Steph, hey, sleeping beauty," he said kissing her on the cheek and shaking her shoulder.

"Colin, why are you waking me? I am too tired for that now," she whined and rolled over.

Colin laughed at his beautiful wife of eighteen months and shook her again.

"Though I would love to wake you up like that, our guests are awake. I think we should go downstairs and feed them," Colin replied.

"Oh, okay you go ahead and I will be down after I shower and put my makeup on."

Colin laughed at his wife and knew that it would be at least an hour before she appeared. He quickly grabbed some clothes and hopped into their shower.

Marty and Rory were sitting on the deck talking when he appeared.

"Good morning, you two. You are both up early," Colin stated as he joined them on the patio. He noticed that Rory was drinking a glass of water as Marty was sipping a cup of coffee.

"Rory, what gives? Since when don't you have a mug of coffee in your hands. You always told me that your blood was ninety percent coffee," Colin asked.

"My stomach is still upset this morning, so I thought a few glasses of water might help. Maybe in a while I will try some tea. You do have some, don't you?" Rory asked.

"Of course, that's what I drink now, will green tea be okay? I will make a pot right now."

Colin stood up when he saw Rory nod her approval and walked into the kitchen.

The three friends were enjoying the beautiful morning, munching on bagels and fruit that Colin brought out along with a carafe of coffee for Marty and a pot of tea for him to share with Rory.

Rory was relaxing and looking at Colin. "Where's Steph?" she asked.

"You know her," Colin responded. "Catching her beauty sleep, she won't be up for at least another hour." He glanced at his watch and noticed that it was only 7:30.

Then he added, "Maybe another two more hours." The three friends began to laugh.

"Marty?" Rory turned and called his name.

"Hmm?" Marty responded as he was drinking his coffee.

"Would you like to go for a walk on the beach? That pier looks so beautiful and I would love to take some pictures," she said.

"Yes, let's go," Marty said and grabbed his phone.

The two of them walked casually down the path towards the sound. They stopped at a pond that was halfway to the water.

"This place is amazing," Rory said to Marty as they stopped by the pond. Inside the pond they could see the Koi fish swimming around. "If I owned a place like this I don't think I would ever leave it."

"Well, Steph and Colin try to spend as much time as possible here, even in the winter they have their annual Christmas and New Year's Eve party here. You haven't been to any of those, have you?" Marty said looking at Rory.

She started to stroll towards the pier. "No, I am usually away. The last few years the holiday was tough. Mom had just found out that she was sick, then she died. I really wasn't in the mood to celebrate anything."

"I am sorry to hear about your mom. I just found out when I came that night when I heard…" Marty wasn't sure how to end that sentence so he paused.

"The night Ace died?" Rory finished his thought. "Yes, well I understand, and thank you by the way for being here for me. I really enjoy your company. Okay enough about me. I haven't seen you in over eight years - tell me how did you and Colin get to be such good friends and partners? That is something that I wouldn't expect."

They both laughed comfortably. Rory pulled off her sandals as she walked on the beach. Soon Marty was carrying his dockers too. They continued to walk and talk as they walked near the pier. She stooped and picked up various shells that caught her eye and he watched her with a grin on his face. He told her how after graduation he and Lucy finally broke it off completely. He applied to Harvard Law and she moved out to California. At Harvard, he and Colin became study partners and eventually roommates and best friends. When he needed a job, Colin had his father's law firm hire him. The two men began to win many cases together and became an unbeatable team. He always was interested in Financial Law and International Law and made it his specialty. When Colin's father died, Colin inherited the firm and immediately set him up as partner.

"So, in a nutshell, our friendship started through you. If I wasn't with you that day at the coffee cart, I may have never met him," Marty said with a smile.

"So, you're saying you owe your success to me? I like that, and I am happy that it worked out so well for you," she said with a grin

They walked out to the end of the pier and looked out. They stood there for a while in silence.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she said looking up at Marty.

"Oh, I am just remembering the most embarrassing moment in my life, but also the happiest moment," he replied.

"Oh, when was that?"

"The morning we first met."

She looked up into his brown eyes and grinned. "Yes, I guess it was embarrassing, for both of us. But how was it happy?"

"I met you, and now we are in each other's lives again," he said taking her hands in his.

"You know, Rory, this might not be the right time to say this, but I see how sad you are. I feel like I should be able to help you stop being sad." As he said this she turned and looked back out into the sound. " You're upset. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to you."

She turned back to him and put both of her hands on his face. "Marty, thank you...thank you for understanding why I am sad and for caring."

She then kissed him softly on his lips. He wasn't sure how to respond but instinctively he kissed her back. They pulled away from each other and both smiled. He then took her hand and they walked back to the house. As they were walking back he saw a shell. He picked it up, it was beautiful pale pink.

"Add this to your collection," he said. "You know that a basket of shells will bring you good luck in your life."

"I could use some good luck," she softly said.

He put his arm around her and hugged her closely to his body, kissing the top of her head. "I know your luck is changing, and I will help you through this," he said.

"Thank you," she whispered back. The two friends walked back together side by side.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Steph was standing on her bedroom balcony and had watched as the couple shared their first kiss and turned back toward the house She smiled. She was happy about this, happy that her plan to bring these two people together was working. Colin and Finn both warned her not to meddle. They both liked Ace a lot and loved Rory. They didn't want her hurt. However, Steph knew that Rory needed someone like Marty, someone like her step father Luke Danes. She saw Marty as that man - strong, quiet, unassuming, loyal and very handsome. Yes, Rory needed Marty now more than anything, and Steph will silently guide these two together. Colin came up behind her and hugged her.

"What are you looking at, my love?" he asked and followed her gaze to the couple walking up the path from the ocean.

"Just our friends, "she said with a smile.

"You know, you never told me the real reason Rory went to bed so early last night. And I happen to find this in the bathroom trash basket," he said, holding up the pregnancy test that was wrapped in tissue. "Do we have a reason to celebrate?" he asked.

"No, we don't…." she said sadly.

"Oh, OH… you mean Rory is?" he exclaimed.

"Yes, and she will need us more now, Colin. We can't let her go through this alone."

"I agree. Should I say anything to her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like congratulations or something."

She slapped Colin on the chest. "No, don't say anything to anybody. It is her news to tell. Let her go to the doctor first and let her tell you. Promise?"

"I promise," he said and kissed her soundly on the lips dragging her back into their bathroom. "Let's take a shower and practice making one of our own."

She giggled and as the two of them went into the bathroom together.

By the time Rory and Marty had returned from their walk Colin and Steph were sitting on the deck chairs enjoying the view and drinking their coffee.

"Hi, you two. Did you enjoy your walk?" Colin asked

"Colin, this place is amazing. The view is spectacular. Why aren't the two of you living here all the time? If I lived here, I would sit out here and write and never leave." Rory said as she sat down on the lounge chair beside Marty.

"I am glad you like it. Let's say it was one of my better investments." He says with a chuckle.

"So, what would you two like to do today?" Steph asked.

Colin had the Sunday paper in front of him and before they came back, he was reading through it.

"Hey, Steph there is the Annual Massapequa Park Street Fair that starts today. It starts at 11:00 and goes until 5. There are 100 Craft vendors and they have both Classic and Custom cars." Colin said.

"Now that sounds interesting," Marty said, "I always like to look at the Classic Cars."

"What do you think Rory, feel up to some walking and checking out some Classic cars?"

"Sure, that might be fun and they might even have some caramel apples. I am in the mood for some gooey caramel apples or even Cotton Candy." Rory says.

"Now that's the Rory I know," Steph says with a laugh. "You always do enjoy your sweet flavored food."

The three of them laughed and decided that they would leave around ten thirty and go to the Fair.

Rory went back into her room and decided to put on some comfortable shoes for walking around the fair. As she was in her room changing, she heard a phone ring. Instinctively she looked at her phone. She remembered that Steph had her turn it off, so she decided she should turn it on to see if she got any messages. As she turned it on she saw that she had 10 missed calls and 30 messages. She took her phone out to the family room and sat there scrolling through her messages. There was 1 from Jess letting her know that he thinks it was a great idea that she went away. He told her to call him if she needed him and make sure to call him as soon as she got back into the city. She smiled as she read this. The next message was from Luke, he was checking up on her and sending his love to her. He reminded her to call him when she returned from this mini vacation. She was smiling after reading the message when Marty came into the room. He sat beside her on the couch and smiled.

"I like seeing that expression on your face. You must have read something good," he said.

"I did, I got a message from both Jess and Luke. They told me to have fun this weekend," she said as she continued to scroll down through her messages. She notices that she had a few from work but the rest were from Logan. She didn't open them and instead return her phone back to its home screen.

"So, Mr. Knight, tell me about these "classic cars" we are going to look at," she said smiling at him.

Marty laughed. "A classic car could be any car from 1925 - 1948 but it also can be 15 or 20 years old and it is kept in a garage and has been driven less than 2,500 miles a year."

"Oh, now that is interesting," she said.

While the two of them continued their conversation about what they might see at the fair, Colin and Steph were still sitting on the patio. Colin was talking to Logan.

"Colin, I have been trying to get a hold of Rory. The message on her phone is that she is away and to contact your office if it is important. Is she okay? When I left her yesterday, she was upset and wanted to be alone," Logan said.

"Yes, she is okay. I guess Steph stopped by to see her yesterday when she couldn't get a hold of her and decided that they needed a girl's week. So, Steph kidnapped her. This time she didn't wear her gorilla mask," Colin replied chuckling.

"Oh good, is she with you now? Can I talk with her?" Logan asked.

Colin had the phone on speaker and Steph was listening. She shook her head no and mouthed don't tell him she is here. Colin looked at her mouthing the word why and Steph shook her head saying no. Thinking quickly Colin said, "The girls have gone off to do some shopping and to check out some craft fairs that are going on in the area. You know how it is in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont now of the year. There is always a craft fair or antique show going on somewhere. I am just glad that Steph has Rory to go with her instead of me. "

Smiling Steph gave Colin a thumb up and then blew him an air kiss as she walked back into the house to get ready to go to the Massapequa Park Street Fair. Colin shook his head hoping Steph knew what she was doing. The two men talked for a while longer and Colin promised that he would have Rory contact him when she saw her. They promised to have lunch during the week together and hung up.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The two couples arrived in Colin's BMW convertible. They followed the signs for the parking area and Colin paid the attendant the money to park his car in the lot that was reserved for parking. They got out of the car and started walking around. Right away Rory walked over to the caramel apple stand which also sold kettle corn. Marty followed her to the stand. "Well, what would you like? "he asked her.

"Oh, you don't have to buy it, Marty, "Rory said to him.

"No, put your money away, it's my treat today. Let me buy this and then you can buy me something," he said.

"Okay, as long as it isn't one of those classic sports cars," she teased.

He winked at her and then said to the attendant, "One caramel apple and one bag of kettle corn oh and two waters." Marty handed the attendant the money. He handed Rory the apple and the water and he took the large bag of popcorn and his water. The two of them started strolling down the street. They stopped and looked at some of the classic cars. They joined Colin and Steph and soon the men stopped in front of some small red cars.

"What type of car is this?" Rory asked.

"It's a 1968 TRIUMPH TR 250, "Colin said all excited. "My father had a car like this when I was a little kid. He kept it covered in the garage and would only take it out in the summer. They only made this car one year. I remember he took me for a ride in it once. I wonder if that car is still in the garage on the estate in Harford," Colin said.

Rory looked at the car and smiled. What a different world Colin was raised in compared to her and Marty. Marty and Rory walked over to a red car.

"This car is cute, what is it?" Rory asked Marty.

"It's a 1968 Triumph TR250 Jensen Healey Roadster. They only made this car for fifteen months and it was a rare hybrid" he said.

"It's cute, does it go fast?" Rory asked.

"For that time, it did. I am sure it would have been fun to drive around," he said.

"Would you ever be interested in collecting cars?" she asked him as they continued to walk and look at the other cars.

"No, I don't think so. I enjoy looking at them, but I never had the desire to spend my money on something like that. How about you?"

"I had been driving my Prius for seven years before I had to leave it at my mother's house. Now I take the train or subway to go any place."

They continued walking around the fair and she walked toward the craft vendors. He followed her. They were looking at the different vendors when he came across a vendor that sold handmade baskets. He saw a basket and thought of her. She was at another vendor looking at the handmade jewelry. He paid for the basket and the vendor put it in a bag for him. He joined her and they continued walking. They saw an artist drawing caricatures of people.

"Come on," he said as he dragged her over to the artist. "Let's get our picture drawn."

She looked at him and smiled. "Okay, then we need two. One for me and one for you, "she said.

They sat down together and the artist suggested that she sit on his lap. She did and he drew a beautiful picture of their faces. As they were having their pictures drawn Steph and Colin walked up. Steph took out her phone and took a couple of pictures of them. These two looked so good together. The artist was finished and Rory noticed Steph and Colin standing there watching. Marty bought the pictures and Rory went over to them.

"Come on, Colin and Steph, you should do it too," she said pulling them over to the artist chair.

Colin and Steph sat down and Rory took out her phone and took pictures of the couple. As she was taking the pictures of them and the classic cars, she began to remember another time that she was at a flea market fair with Ace.

 _It was in October. They were in North Carolina and they were having a festival. Her mother had just died_ _and_ _it was getting close to her birthday. Ace had taken her to the festival to take her mind off it. At first, she did not want to go_ _but_ _he convinced her that it would be fun. It was a beautiful fall day_ _and_ _they had Hot Air Balloon Rides. He took her hand_ _and_ _they went up in the Balloon. It_ _was so magical_ _. She looked up to the sky and talked to her mother. As she was looking up a feather fell from a passing bird and landed on her shoulder. She kept that feather. Now she wonders if that was a sign…_ _._ _Mom… Ace… I miss you so and a tear_ _gently_ _falls down her cheek._

Marty looks over at her at that moment. He wonders if he can make her happy. He loves seeing her face light up. He looks at the caricature of the two of them. She does look happy here, he thinks. He puts his arms around her waist and pulls her into him.

"Hey," he says, "look at me. I'm here. What can I do?"

She sighs. "Just hold me for a moment, Marty."

He pulls her close and holds her and she closes her eyes with her head on his chest. Steph and Colin are finished with their portrait. As Colin pays for the caricature, Steph takes her phone out again and takes a photo of the two of them in their embrace. Colin comes behind her and sees the picture she just took.

"Maybe you're right Steph, he could be the one to help her through all this," he said.

As they approached the couple Rory turned and looked at them, she smiled at them both and pulled away. The four of them continued walking down the street, looking at the cars and stopping at the different vendors checking out the items that they were selling. After spending a few hours at the fair, the two young couples got back into Colin's car and headed back to their home. When they got back to the house, Marty asked Rory to stop by his room. He took out the basket he bought for her and handed it to her.

"What's this, Marty?" she asked.

"I thought of you today when I saw it, it's a basket to keep your shells in," he said.

"Oh, Marty, thank you," she said. She reached up and gently kissed him on the cheek. They stood close to each other and slowly he bent down and kissed her lips. She returned his kiss. Tears formed in her eyes and then she said, "Thank you." She picked up the basket and walked back into her room. As she sat down on her bed she touched her lips. They still tingled from his kiss. Then she wondered, was it wrong to kiss him?


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Logan was sitting in the penthouse apartment that belonged to HPG, thinking about Rory. He was very concerned when she never answered her phone yesterday and kept getting those messages. At first, he just left her messages and hoped that she would at least return the calls or send him a text. But when he awoke Sunday morning and there still wasn't any word from her, he decided that he should contact Colin to see what was going on. He was relieved that she went someplace with Steph. He had no idea why she wanted to leave Central Park. They were having a great time…

Logan started to think _".._ _._ _was it something I said? Everything was going great we laughed took pictures. I didn't even try to kiss her. But having her that close I wanted her."_

He got up and walked to the window of the penthouse and gazed out of the window. It had a beautiful view of the Hudson. He decided to call Finn. He should have called Finn yesterday when he found Rory so sick, but when she sent him away he was devastated. So, he returned to the penthouse and began to contact real estate agents to look at property. He couldn't stay in this apartment any longer, he needed to set down his own roots, maybe he could convince Rory to move in with him. He picked up the phone and called Finn.

"Hey Logan, why are you calling so bloody early?!" Finn said as he answered the phone.

"Finn, it is 2 pm in the afternoon, where are you in Alaska or Hawaii?" Logan said with a chuckle.

"Well actually mate, I am in Kauai. I got a call from my best mate Tanc yesterday and flew over. The waves are perfect so we decided to do some surfing. I am going to be here for a few days. Why don't you come and join us? You do still have the company jet at your disposal so you could be here by tonight," Finn said.

"As much as I would love to, you know I don't surf. Remember the last time I tried? You had to give me mouth to mouth and I don't ever want a repeat of that again!" Logan exclaimed.

"Well you did try to swallow the whole ocean when you went in. It was funny but it was either me or that big burly guy in Australia. I took one for the team too you know," Finn chuckled

"So, have you talked to Rory since you dropped her home Friday evening?" Logan asked.

"No, I haven't I figured I would call her when I get back on Wednesday, why?" replied Finn.

"Well I stopped by on Saturday morning and brought her coffee and tacos. Boy was she hung over. She took one look at that food and went running to the bathroom. She was so sick. Later I took her out to Alice's Tea Cup. She seemed fine. We were having a great time I took her on a carriage ride through Central Park and suddenly she wanted to go home. By the time I got her off the carriage she was shaking. I haven't seen her like that before," Logan said with concern in his voice.

"Oh, umm I have. Right after her mother died Logan and I know why she wanted to leave Central Park so fast," Finn said.

"You do? Was it something I did wrong?" Logan asked.

"No, you wouldn't have known, but Saturday was the day she and Ace were to get married at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park," Finn answered.

Logan went silent on the other end of the phone. If he only realized it he never would have taken her for the carriage ride in Central Park. The two men said goodbye to each other and Logan hung up his phone. Desperate to make things right between him and Rory he sat and thought what he could do.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Rory came out of the bedroom carrying the basket that she filled with shells to show Marty. She had called Paris while she was sitting in her room. Paris suggested that tomorrow she contact The Lawson Medical Association on in the Hamptons. She used to work with Hank Lawson when she was a resident in the city. He was an amazing ER doctor and general practitioner. His wife Kiera Lawson was a friend of hers. She and Kiera worked closely when they were residence in obstetrics. She thanked Paris and promised that she would call her as soon as she knew the results.

She heard music and followed it. Stephanie, Colin and Marty were sitting on the patio off the kitchen.

"What are you holding?" Steph asked when she saw Rory walking out of the doorway.

"Just the basket that Marty bought me earlier," she said, "I wanted to show him how it looks with the shells in it. "

Steph walked over and looked at the pretty basket that was on her counter.

"You know there is a saying that if you put a basket of shells in your house, your luck will change," Steph said.

"Yes, a wise man told me that this morning," Rory said with a smile as she looked at Marty. Marty got up off his deck chair and walked over to where the two women were standing.

"Wise, huh? Okay, I will take that as a compliment," he said with a smile.

"Well, mister, I think we should go and collect some more. I would like to fill my basket with some more luck."

Marty took her hand and the two of them walked the path again toward the beach. Colin came and stood behind his wife wrapping his arms around her.

"Steph, I think your premonition is right. I agree that Marty and Rory are right for each other," he said.

"Well, my husband is admitting to me that I am right… but do you think it will last?" she asked turning into his arms and looking at his face.

"Only time will tell, but we do have a problem you know," he said.

"What sort of a problem?" she asked.

"Logan still loves her and I am afraid after talking to him this morning he will be pursuing her. He realizes now after all these years what he gave up," he sadly admitted.

"Well let's hope that those seashells really bring her good luck in the man department too. She really does need someone who can love her and yet let her be independent. Though I loved Ace, he still controlled her and I don't see Marty doing that to her," Steph said thoughtfully.

"I agree, Marty respects her and won't try to control her. They will have many healthy discussions but he won't back down this time or walk away like he did."

Just then Colin's phone rang. He looked at the number and it was from the PSL law firm in the city. He wondered why they would be calling him on a Sunday afternoon.

"Steph, I have to take this call in my office," he said as he worked towards the sliding glass door that led upstairs to his home office.

"Colin McCrae," he said in a serious voice.

"Mr. McCrae, this is Mike Ross from PSL. I am trying to reach Miss Rory Gilmore and her message said to contact this number. Do you happen to be her attorney?"

"Yes, I am, how can I help you?" Colin asked wondering if Rory was in some sort of problem.

"Well, Mr. McCrae, we represent the estate of Mr. Acelot Gerrard and it seems that Miss Gilmore has inherited all his assets. We were wondering if we could set up a time in the next week or so to go over everything with her and yourself," Mr. Ross stated.

"Is this your personal number where you can be reached?" Colin asked.

"Yes, it is, "Mr. Ross said.

"Then I will contact you later this week when Miss Gilmore has returned from her trip," Colin said.

"That will be perfect. I will talk to you then," Mr. Ross responded and hung up the phone.

Colin hung up the phone and walked back out to the patio. Steph looked up at her husband as he walked out.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes, everything is alright," he said with a smile. Receiving this call made him realize that Ace must have loved her a lot. He had made sure she was provided for in his will. He knew that Ace came from a family with money and as a journalist he was insured for a lot of money due to the type of work he did.

This time both Rory and Marty had left their shoes on the deck. They were looking and finding different shells to put in her basket that she left on the table where she had been sitting. She walked along the water's edge letting the cool waves lap against her feet. Every so often she would bend over and pick up some shells. Marty has his back to her when she let out a yelp. He turned and started to laugh. There she was sitting in the water. Her white sundress was totally drenched. She was laughing so hard she couldn't get up. Every time she tried the waves would come in and the sand would move back towards the ocean making her slip back in the water. He waded over to her and held his hand out to help her. She reached for it and grabbed it. He pulled her up into his waiting arms. The two of them were laughing so hard that they had tears in their eyes. She looked down at her dress then looked up into his eyes. She felt the pull of his lips, like magnets. She hesitates and he leans in and kisses her on her cheek.

"Marty, I have to tell you something," she said softly. "I am not sure, but I think I am pregnant. Steph had me take a pregnancy test last night and it was positive. I spoke to Paris and she suggested that I call the Lawson Medical Association that is here on the Hamptons to have tests done. Steph is going to take me there tomorrow. "

Marty looked at her with a smile. "Rory, I told you I want to be here for you. I want to help take away your sadness," he said to her softly.

She smiled back up at him and he put his arm on her shoulder they walked toward the house as the sun began to set. As they were walking back he felt her shiver as a cool breeze blew off the ocean.

"Let's get you back to the house. I would suggest the hot tub, but I don't think a pregnant woman should go in them. I think I remember my sister saying this," he chuckled.

"You have a sister? "she asked. "I don't remember you ever mentioning your family to me before."

"Yes, I have one brother who is a chiropractor and a sister who is a nurse," he said.

He continued to tell Rory about his family as they walked to the house, with his arm across her shoulder She had lost the shells that they had gone to collect but she no longer cared. Instead she found that she was carrying something inside her heart - the love of a good friend.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The next morning Rory woke up, she sat up and thought maybe today she would feel better. She walked into the bathroom and began to take her shower. She got dressed and left her hair down. She walked into the kitchen. As soon as she smelled the coffee she ran to the nearest bathroom. Marty had just entered the kitchen and when he saw her bolt into the nearest bathroom he followed her in there. Her hair was falling forward so he held her hair back and rubbed her back. She finally stopped heaving. He grabbed a towel, wet it, and handed it to her. She smiled weakly up at him. He laughed.

"What's so funny?" she said with a weak smile.

"You. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and maybe you would feel better if you drink some water," he said.

"Well, I don't know, but I know the smell of coffee isn't helping. Who would have thought that this Gilmore Girl couldn't smell or drink coffee?" she said. Then she started to laugh. Her laughter became contagious and she was sitting on the floor and he was sitting on the toilet seat. They continued to laugh and that's where Colin found the two of them.

"Well, Gilmore what are you both doing in my bathroom? Wait, I don't want to know," he said as he backed out of the doorway.

Marty walked out of the bathroom and Rory followed blushing. Steph walked down the stairs and looked at the three of them. Marty took out a bottle of water and then pulled out a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. Rory didn't want to get sick again so she walked out to the patio and enjoyed the morning sun. Marty walked out and followed her. He decided to put his coffee in a travel mug with a cover so the smell wouldn't be as strong for her. Colin came out and handed her a cup of ginger tea.

"What's this?" she asked

"Ginger tea. Steph picked it up for you yesterday. It's supposed to help with… "he looked at Marty and didn't know if he should go on.

"Morning sickness?" Marty finished his sentence with a grin.

"Yes, so you know?" Colin asked.

"Yes, Rory told me on our walk yesterday. She told me that Steph was taking her to Lawson's Medical Associates today. By the way, Ror, did you call yet?" Marty looked over at her and asked. She had her eyes closed and she was inhaling the scent of the tea. It was soothing her not only her stomach but her mind.

"What? Oh, not yet...what time is it?" she asked the two men.

.

"It's eight thirty," Colin replied.

"Oh shoot, I left my phone downstairs."

"Here, uses mine," Marty said handing his phone to her. She took his iPhone and did a quick search through Siri and got the number.

"Hello, Lawson's Medical Associates, this is Molly. How can I direct your call?" Molly said on the phone.

"Hello, my name is Rory Gilmore and Dr. Paris Gellar has referred me to Kiera Lawson. I was wondering if I could come in to see her," Rory said.

"Oh yes, Ms. Gilmore we received a fax from Dr. Gellar telling us that you would be calling today. We have an opening at ten would you be able to come in then?" she asked.

Just then Steph walked out on the deck.

Rory looked at Steph and putting her hand over the phone she said, "Steph they have an opening at ten, would that be ok?" Steph nodded

"Yes, I can make that appointment."

"Good come in fifteen minutes early and bring in your insurance information so you can fill out the necessary paperwork. Also, could you please drink about a quart of water before you come in, the doctor may want to take an ultrasound." Molly stated.

"Yes, thank you and I will see you then. Goodbye," Rory said to Molly.

Marty took his phone back took her hand in his. "Listen, we are here for you won't have to do this alone."

Her eyes filled with tears and she squeezed his hand and looking up at Steph and Colin she whispered, "Thank you.".

Steph and Colin looked at their two best friends and smiled. Colin put his arm around Steph's waist and kissed her forehead.

Colin turned to his wife," Will you two be ok? I want you to call me as soon as the appointment is over," he said to her.

"Yes, we will take the convertible today, you don't need it, do you?" she asked her husband.

"No, Marty and I will be working here out of my office," Colin.

"Marty did you bring those briefs you were working on?"

"Yes, I have them in my car along with my laptop," Marty said as he walked to the driveway. Marty drove a silver Acura RLX. He opened his trunk and took out his brief case and laptop that he left in the car for the last two days. Originally, he was going to return to work today but decided that since Rory was here he was going to stay all week. He brought his laptop and briefcase upstairs to the second office space that had access to the balcony patio. When he is there he likes using this space. It is quiet and he can have conference calls here without disturbing Colin and Steph. He walks downstairs and enters the kitchen. Colin was talking to Rory when he walked in.

"Good, I am glad you're here. I wanted to tell you that yesterday when you two were on the beach, I received a call from PSL," Colin stated.

"What did they want?" Marty asked.

"It was Mike Ross, he is representing Ace's estate. Apparently, that is the law firm he had used to set everything up. They want to meet with us and Rory. I told them that we would contact them when Rory returns from her vacation. So, I figured we both would go together," Colin said looking at both Rory and Marty.

"Sure, that would work for me. Rory, are you ok with that?" Marty turned and asked her.

"I am named in Ace's will?" she asked.

"You didn't know about this?" Marty asked her.

"No, we never talked about it. I remember signing papers a month before he died, we were joining our finances. Since we had been living together and getting married we decided that we would join all our accounts," Rory said.

"I'm sure it's just a formality. I will call today and make an appointment for next week. Is there a time or day that works better for you, Rory?" Colin asked.

"Colin, it doesn't make much difference. I can take time or go in early or return and work later. I also have the flexibility that I can work at home and do conference calls or face time." Rory said.

"Okay, you and Steph better get going. It is nine fifteen, if you're going to make it on time I would leave now," Colin said to her.

Rory walked into the bedroom and grabbed her purse, checking to see if she had her identification and her telephone. She walked outside to the driveway where she met Steph in the convertible. Steph backed out of the driveway and they started down the private road to the main road. Instinctively, Rory reached over and started to play with the dials of his radio.

"What are you doing?" she looked at her as she started to push the buttons on the stereo.

"I am looking for the Coffee House station on your satellite radio," she said.

Steph started laughing, "Ok you can change the stations, we just won't tell Colin."

She pressed some buttons and Smith Radio Band started playing "Forgotten Hero".

"Who is singing this song?" Steph asked Rory.

"His name is Scott Patterson, and he goes to local coffee houses and plays with his band," Rory replied as she opened her Instagram page and showed Steph his picture.

"Doesn't he look like my stepfather Luke?" Rory asked.

They arrived at the Lawson Medical Associates. It was a building across the street from one of the hospitals. They walked in and Rory walked up to the receptionist. She gave her name, the receptionist had her sign in and then give her a clipboard for her to fill out. As she was filling out the forms, the nurse called her name. She stood up and started to walk in. She noticed that Steph was still sitting in the waiting room. She walked back to her.

"Hey, can you come in with me?" she asked her.

Steph looked up at her. "Are you sure? I didn't think you wanted me to be in there when they examined you."

"Don't worry, you can step out while I change and then come back in. I would like you in there with me. I'm scared," she admitted to her.

Steph smiled at her and they followed the nurse.

The nurse took the clipboard from Rory and told her she can finish it later and then took her weight and noted it on her tablet. Rory went down the hall to the lab and she sat in the chair. The lab tech took her blood and then Rory and Steph followed the nurse to the room. When they got there the nurse took her blood pressure. The nurse started asking her the questions that she hadn't filled out on the chart. When the nurse got to the question about her mother, Steph noticed that Rory's face went pale. She grabbed her hand and started to talk softly to her. The nurse watched the two women. Steph turned to the nurse and explained, "She just went through a tragic loss a few months ago."

The nurse nodded, then asked her when she had her last period.

"I'm not sure," she said.

"Did you finish the last package of birth control you were on?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, it was about two months, it was near the end of April beginning of May, I … had." she couldn't finish the sentence and tears started to come down her cheeks.

"Oh, that is perfectly okay, I see you are scheduled for an ultrasound today. We will be able to find everything out with that. I know that you are uncomfortable but after the ultrasound you will be able to empty your bladder and then leave a sample in the bathroom. The doctor will be right in," the nurse handed a box of Kleenex to Rory.

'Thanks. Steph… it's so hard. I'm a mess. Are you sure you want to be here with me?" she then asked him.

"Hey what are best friend's for? As Marty said we are all here for you," She said and gave Rory a hug.

"Hello Lorelai, I am Dr. Lawson. I hear we have a friend in common?" Dr. Lawson said.

"Hi, Dr. Lawson and please call me Rory, yes Paris Geller. "Rory said. "Oh, and this is Stephanie McCrae.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. McCrae. So, tell me why are you here today?" she asked her.

"Well, I took a home pregnancy test and it came back positive," Rory said

"Well they are pretty accurate now, but I had other tests ordered and we should have the results by the time we finish the appointment. How about you change into the gown while we step out and then I will come back in and examine you. Will that be okay?" she asked.

"Yes," Rory said.

Rory quickly took off her clothes and put the paper gown on and covered herself with the sheet. The doctor knocked and she walked in. The doctor quickly checked Rory's breathing with her stethoscope. She examined her breasts and then she examined her internally. After the exam, Steph entered the room when she saw the Ultrasound machine be wheeled into the examining room.

"Okay, now I am going to use the ultrasound machine. I will put some gel on your stomach It will feel cold at first" Dr. Lawson explained.

She squirted the gel on her stomach and began to move it around. resting it on her abdomen and the doctor stopped every so often and typed information. Then she turned the screen towards them so they could see.

"Well here is your baby. You can see you are having one baby and it is developing perfectly. You are about 10 weeks pregnant. I would say you will be due the end of January. "

"Wow," Rory said. Steph looked at Rory in amazement. Steph held on to Rory's hand. She and Colin had been trying for a while and she wondered when this would happen for her.

"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?" Dr. Lawson asked. They both nodded not able to say any words. They soon heard the whoosh whoosh of the baby's heart.

"The baby is strong and healthy and everything looks good. Why don't you get dressed and then I will meet the two of you in my office," she said. The doctor left and Steph looked at Rory.

"Wow, that was so amazing, Rory. Thank you for letting me share that with you," Steph told her and gave her a hug. "I will wait outside while you get dressed."

"Steph, I should be thanking you. I never could have done this alone." Rory hugged her best friend. As soon as Steph left she quickly got dressed.

After Rory went to the bathroom, they walked into Dr. Lawson's office and sat down in the chairs in front of her desk.

"Well, congratulations Miss Gilmore I see that you are wearing an engagement ring, is your fiancé serving in the military?"

"Umm, no he was killed two months ago," Rory replied fighting back her tears.

"Oh, I am so sorry. So, don't worry, I am sure your close friend Mrs. McCrea will be there for you. Now I see that you live in New York City and you work for CBS. Your insurance will cover everything and we have an office in the city. I want to see you in about six weeks. We will do another ultrasound then. Here is a prescription for prenatal vitamins," Dr. Lawson said. "Do you have any questions?"

"Well I have been sick in the morning, any suggestions?" Rory asked.

"For some women certain foods are triggers, for others it is just the body getting used to the hormonal changes. I usually suggest ginger tea, ginger ale, soda crackers, Gatorade frozen in ice cube trays seem to help especially if you have been vomiting a lot. Sometimes exercise works. I am a big believer of natural oils so peppermint oil will also help, but you should be feeling better soon," Dr. Lawson explained to them.

Rory gave the doctor a weak smile. Then she stood up. Rory took a deep breath. " Okay, I will see you in a 6 week," she said.

They walked out and stopped at the reception area. She took six copies of her first ultrasound and made her next appointment. The elevator door opened and the two of them walked out into the sun toward Steph's car.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Steph and Rory walked into the house. "I am going to get something to eat, would you like me to get you something?" she asked looking at Rory.

Rory walked in the kitchen and looked around. "I think I will have some fruit, "she said.

Steph reached into the refrigerator and took out the bowl of fruit salad that she had prepared earlier. She dished out some fruit for herself and Rory.

"You know I never remember you eating fruit before. Is this something new?" she asked.

"I guess it is, I really don't feel like having anything else right now and the fruit seems to settle my stomach," Rory replied.

They both sat down to eat. She got up and grabbed two water bottles from the refrigerator. Just then Colin walked in from his office followed by Marty.

"Oh, you're back, well is everything ok?" Colin asked the girls

"Yes, I guess it is," Rory answered.

"Well am I going to be an uncle?" Colin asked hesitantly.

With a small smile on her face, she teased, "Do you want to be an uncle?"

At this point Steph couldn't control her laughter and walking to her husband she said, "Rory, give this man an answer. Can't you see he is anxious here?"

"Okay, Colin," she said as she handed him the picture of her ultrasound.

"What's this?" Colin asked looking at the picture and turning it upside down.

" You're going to be an uncle and that means Stephanie will be an aunt! This is a picture of my baby. I am 10 weeks pregnant," she told him.

"Wow! This is amazing," he said walking over and giving her a hug" Ror, are you happy?"

"Honestly, Colin, the answer is yes, no, maybe. Yes, a part of me is happy to have this child, it is a part of Ace. When I think about it and I say no I am not happy. I think about our child growing up without a father, or a grandmother and I am sad that my mom is not here with me." She began to cry.

Marty took the picture that Colin handed and looked at it, he then walked over Pulling her into his arms he said, "Hey shh, shh, don't cry. I'm right here for you. I will help you get through this. I promise. In fact, we all will," he said.

"Promise? "she said looking up at him and turning she looked at Colin and Steph.

"I promise. I am not going anywhere," he told her.

Colin pulled Rory into his arms and hugged her. "You are not alone. You have many friends that are your family now and Uncle Colin will make sure that baby Gilmore will have everything he or she will need. Then there will be Uncle Finn who will teach him or her everything he or she will need to know about life."

At that Rory groaned, Steph, Colin, and Marty started to laugh.

Marty walked over to her and put his finger under her chin and looked into her eyes.

"Rory, whatever you need, I am here. You can depend on me to hold your hair back when you are sick, if Steph can't take you to your appointments then I will go to the doctors with you, scream at me when you want, I will even go and buy your crazy food cravings that you may have. Most of all I will always be around. I let you disappear from my life once and I am not going to let you do it again. "

Rory turned with tears in her eyes, and she looked at her three best friends. She felt happy knowing that she had great friends that would not leave her to face this alone. She pulled them into a hug.

"Thank you, now I am going to put my bathing suit on before I can't wear my bikini anymore and take a swim," she said as she took back the ultrasound photo and walked to her bedroom to change.

The girls walked back into the house to change.

Colin looked at Marty. "You have feelings for her, don't you?" he said to his friend.

"Yeah, I do. I have had strong feelings for her for many years. I didn't know it until I walked into your apartment two months ago. I will do anything for her," Marty admitted.

Colin smiled. "You know, she is a special person. From the moment, I saw her I wanted to take care of her too. She has become a sister to me. I saw how Logan hurt her and I don't want that to happen again. I will be honest with you, Marty. Logan still cares for her," he said as he walked and got himself more coffee.

"If you truly care for her, let her know but do it carefully. Give her time and space. She didn't date for a long time after she broke up with Logan. When Ace came into her life, he was bigger than life itself. He adored her but also controlled her. My advice to you is love Rory for who she is and don't try to change her."

"Thanks, man, "Marty said, "I appreciate it."

The two men then sat down at the counter and began to talk about the briefs that they needed to go over. Marty and Colin walked upstairs to the office that Marty was using and took the papers out and sat on the balcony. Marty looked down and saw Rory sitting by the pool with her phone in her lap. He smiled and admitted that yes, he was in love with her and he could see him raising her child with her.

"Yes, this message is for Dr. Gellar. Would you tell her that Ms. Rory Gilmore called and she can reach me on my cell phone? She has my number. Thank you."

She figured that Paris would be busy now but at least she called and left a message and knowing Paris she will be calling her back later today. She looked down at her phone and noticed all the messages from Logan. She took a sip of her water bottle and closed her eyes. It was good seeing him the other day. He was the old Logan when she got sick in her apartment, holding her hair back and taking care of her. It was so sweet of him to care so much, but she wondered now with her having Ace's baby. Does she want Logan in her life? How would he react when he found out she was pregnant? She opened her eyes and decided to send him a text.

" _Logan, sorry I missed your calls and messages these last few days. I am feeling better. Stephanie kidnapped me. I am having a good time and we have returned to her place. I will be staying with Colin and Steph the rest of the week. I will call you when I return to the city. R"_

That's done, she thought, now I need to call Jess. She punched Jess' cell number on her phone and by the second ring, she heard his voice.

"Where have you been? Don't you know I have been worried about you? I get this cryptic message from you. What's going on?" Jess said with irritation as soon as he saw her number on his phone.

"Hello to you too, _Dad_ ", she said with laughter. "I am staying with Steph and Colin at their place in the Hamptons. Steph couldn't reach me Saturday morning so she came by my apartment to check up on me. It's a good thing she did because I was a mess."

"Well you don't sound like you're a mess now, so you are okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, Umm Jess…. I found out today that you are going to be an uncle," Rory said.

"Wait what? Did you say I'm going to be an uncle? Rory, are you telling me that my sister Doula's pregnant?" Jess said.

Rory sighed and thought he can be so dense.

"Jess, no. I am pregnant," she said sounding exasperated.

"Really, that's great, wow. Okay so when are you coming back to the city and have you seen a doctor?" he asked her.

"I will be back in the city on Sunday and yes I saw a doctor today that Paris recommended out here on the Hamptons," Rory said.

"So, when did you go?" Jess asked.

"Steph and I went this morning at ten o'clock.," Rory said.

"Good I am glad you didn't go alone, now when is your next appointment and where is it because I will be going with you,"

"Wait, what did you say? No, Jess, you don't have to go with me," Rory said.

"Rory, do you think Luke would let me not go with you? He will be upset if he found out that you went alone. I'm going!" Jess answered.

"Dodger," Rory said quietly and smiling knowing that she and her child would be safe if she had Jess in her life.

"Hey, it's settled. When do you get back?"

"I am not sure. But I better call Luke, I will call you when I get back?" she asked.

"Ok, now relax and I will be checking up on you," Jess said.

"Ok, bye," Rory said and hung up the phone.

Rory picked up her phone again. This next call was going to be the hardest one to make but she needed to call Ace's parents. Ace's parents had immediately fallen in love with Rory. They saw instantly the connection that the two young people had. Addie or Adélaïde was a warm and gracious woman who adored her only child. She insisted immediately that Rory call her Maman. Nicolai Gerrard had been the ambassador from France to the US. He like his son was very charismatic and always encouraged Ace to follow his dreams. Nick also adored Rory. He saw the intelligence in her eyes and her love of reading and learning. They spent many long hours together talking about politics, philosophy, and the environmental issues facing the world today. He encouraged her to find a job that made her happy. When her mother became ill, they supported both Rory and Ace offering their love to her when she needed it the most. When their son died, it was Nick who encouraged Rory to seek the help of her friends and returned to work and not hide or run away. She scrolled through her contacts and pushed the number and listened to the familiar ringtone.

"Maman, this is Rory. Comment vas-tu?"

"Oh Rory, I am fine. How are you doing my dear child"

"Maman I am doing fine. I have some news to tell you."

"What news, Ma chère,"

"I am pregnant, I just found out today." Tears began to roll down Rory's cheek.

"Oh, Ma chère, that is wonderful news. You are having my grandchild, Non?"

"Yes, I guess we can say Ace left me a present before he went away." she inhaled sharply and Addie could tell she was crying.

"Ma chère, do not cry. This is a happy time. We will be up soon and we will visit. Nick will be so happy."

"Thank you, Maman. I will talk to you soon and I will send you a picture of the baby."

"Au revoir. Rory and I will call you soon."

"Au revoir, Maman."

Rory got up from the chaise and walked to the pool. She took off her sarong and dove into the water. She began to swim some laps in the pool and started to think about Ace.

" _Come on Rory you can do it. Just jump in and I will help you practice your laps."_

 _They had been sitting on the edge of the pool at his apartment in DC. They had been dating for a month. Every morning Ace would dive in the pool and do his laps. She loved to watch him swim, he was so graceful. She had not swum with him yet, and today he made it his mission to have her join him in the pool._

" _Alright," she called to him._

 _She jumped in with a big splash next to him. He grabbed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and the two of them began to kiss passionately._

" _Huh, I thought you wanted to help me improve my stroke so I can do laps without getting tired halfway through." She started giggling and she noticed that he was moving her to the side of the pool and something was pressing against her thigh._

" _Down boy," she said and he started to laugh._

" _Okay, it's simple. You are going to push your hands through the water each time you do a stroke and roll your body from side to side. When your left hand is extended in front of you, your left side should be much deeper in the water than your right side. Inhale while your body is in the water. Then you exhale while your face is submerged in the water."_

 _They began to practice the stroke. She swallowed the pool the first few times but after a few tries, she found her rhythm. When she got to the wall on her sixth time, he stopped her and pulled her close._

 _Kissing her deeply he said, "Now it's time to give you your reward." Wrapping her legs around him he lifted her out of the pool and brought her to the chaise lounge."_

"Hey, I brought you some ice tea, I didn't know you swam?" Steph said.

Rory looked up when she heard Steph, she swam over to the pool and pulled herself out.

"Thanks," she said as she took the glass of tea from her friend.

"I used to watch Ace do laps in the pool and I would just swim and splash around. He decided I need to learn how to swim so he taught me. We would swim laps together every day. Until…"

"So, are you ok? You know I am here for you, whatever you need." Steph told her giving her a hug.

Just then the men walked out in their swim trunks and joined the girls, Colin sitting beside Steph and Marty beside Rory.

"So, Steph, I was thinking let's have a barbeque on Friday evening. Finn will be back from Kauai and we can invite some of our friends," Colin said with a smile on his face.

"Why would we do that?" Steph asked him.

"Why to celebrate being an aunt and uncle," Colin said with a big smile.

"Look, Colin, I don't know if Rory is up for a party. Are you, Rory?" Steph asked.

"Sure, a party with my closest friends will be good. Could you invite Jess, Paris, and Doyle?" Rory asked. "Marty, you will stay, won't you?"

"Rory what did I tell you today? I am not leaving, I promise, "Marty said looking in her eyes.

He then gave her a gentle push and she landed in the pool. He dove in after and the four of them swam and splashed in the pool like children.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Colin and Steph were walking around their patio making sure that the caterer they hired had everything. Colin decided that they would have a pig roast. The caterer came and started the roast around 3 pm. Rory kept herself inside. She had begun to feel better but as soon as she smelled the meat cooking she ran into the bathroom. Marty had been in the kitchen again when he saw her go running toward the bathroom he was there in time to hold her hair back again. Rubbing her back, he reminded her that this soon would be over. She looked up at him with a weak smile. She stood up and ran water to wash her face and rinse out her mouth. He went into the kitchen and made her some ginger tea. It seems to help her in the mornings and he thought that it would help her now. He suggested that they take the tea and go for a walk. A few moments later they were walking side by side along the beach.

At the house, Steph went upstairs to change. Everything was going perfectly. She put on a long white sundress and braided her blond hair. Lately, she wasn't feeling well either and she was tired and feeling rather bloated. She walked into her bathroom and took out a pregnancy kit, she had used this before and it was negative, should she, do it? Just then she heard Rory calling her name.

"In here, Rory," Steph yelled. Rory walked into the room and looked for her.

"Marco," Rory called out and Steph responded "Polo". The two girls started laughing.

"Steph, I came to see if I could borrow something to wear with this dress, maybe a scarf or something," Rory said as she saw Steph standing in her bathroom holding the pregnancy test in her hand.

"Steph do you think maybe? Oh, that would be so wonderful, I wouldn't be all alone and." Rory started to explain.

"I might be but I am afraid to take the test," Steph said.

Rory walked to the bedroom door and closed it. She then walked over to her best friend and said, "You can do this. I know that you two have been trying for a long time. Maybe this time the test will be positive."

"I know but Rory, I am afraid that it isn't positive," Steph said.

"Listen, you helped me now it's my turn to help you." Rory encouraged.

Steph took the test into the bathroom and shut the door.

The two girls walked downstairs with big smiles on their faces. People began to arrive and the music was playing. Marty came over to her and handed her a glass of sparkling cider. Just then Finn walked in and lifted Rory off her feet.

"Darling, you are absolutely glowing. Whatever you did while you were on vacation, keep doing it. I thought I would come back and you would be all skin and bones," Finn told her.

"Why would you think that?" Rory said.

"Because the last time I saw you, you were sick and crying," Logan said walking up to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I agree with Finn, you do look better."

"Well thank you. So, what have you two been doing? Finn, you have a little more color in your face too," Rory said to the men.

"Well, I went to Kauai and surfed for a few days while I checked on one of my hotels. I will have to take you there. It's such a beautiful island," Finn said.

The waiter came by handing both men their usual scotch.

Marty walked over and shook Finn and Logan's hand. He smiled at Rory and the four of them stood around laughing and talking.

"So, Logan, what have you been doing?" Rory asked.

"Well I checked out that studio I was telling you about in Queens and now I am looking for someplace to live," he said.

Marty took a sip of his drink and said, "You are not moving back to London?"

"No, I am staying here. London was a good place but I missed too much here," Logan said looking straight at Rory.

Just then Rory saw Jess. "Excuse me gentlemen but Jess, Paris and Doyle just walked in." She quickly left the three men and walked towards them.

"Marty, have you been staying here all week?" Logan asked.

"Well yes, I have. Colin and I have been working with PSL and some other clients here and I often will stay here at the house to do the work. We find it easier to work from here instead of doing the commute from Hartford."

As Marty was saying this Colin came over and patted him on the back.

"Everyone playing nice over here?" he asked looking straight at Logan.

"Yes, we were just catching up. I was just asking Marty how long has he been out here at your house?" Logan said.

Colin looked at Logan and smiled. "Why?"

Rory came back over with Paris, Doyle, and Jess. Everyone said hello and the men made small talk. Paris pulled Rory to the side.

"Let's go upstairs on the deck and talk," Rory said and the two ladies walked upstairs to the hallway that led to the balcony and walked outside.

"This place is gorgeous. Leave it to Limo Boy to find a place like this. I would love to have a beach house but then I would be spending all my time commuting and I wouldn't get to enjoy it. So, tell me what Kiera said," Paris said.

"Well, I am 10 weeks and the baby is due the end of January. We heard the heartbeat, Paris," Rory told her.

"We? You mean you and Steph? "Paris replied.

The two women then sat down on the lounge chairs that Colin and Steph had set up there. They could hear the murmur of conversations and the music.

"Paris, what am I going to do? This should be the happiest time of my life, our life. This is what Ace wanted and now he isn't here."

Paris pulled her into a hug, "I know. Things will work out. In the meantime, I'm here and I can meet you for your appointments."

"Jess also told me he's going with me to my next appointment. But Paris, I miss my mother."

"I do too, Rory." Paris held her best friend.

"I see Logan is sniffing around. What does he want?"

"He came by on Saturday morning to bring me coffee and taco's thinking I had a hangover from our night at the Manhattan Club, so he was there when I got sick. He was kind and caring. He was the old Logan, worried about me holding me."

"Rory, you need to be careful. You are full of hormones and lonely. Don't go rushing into anything that might hurt you," Paris said.

"What do you mean?" Rory asked her friend.

"All I am saying is that Logan never got over you, I know you fell in love with Ace, but Ace had very similar characteristics as Logan. Please be careful. I don't want you to have your heart broken."

Rory reached out and hugged her and Paris hugged her back.

The two women stood up and walked out of the area and headed back down the stairs to the patio.

Soon the food was ready to be served. The caterer had set up a long banquet table so people could help themselves. Rory walked behind Jess who was talking to some friends of Steph's and put her head on his shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered in his ear.

"Hey yourself. Rory, do you know Jenna and Josh Hager? "Jess started to introduce them when Jenna squealed.

"Rory! Where have you been? I went by your office the other day and you weren't there," Jenna said.

Jess looked at Josh. "Well, I guess they do know each other" Jess said, and the two men chuckled.

Jenna and Rory walked over to the buffet and started to choose their food. Rory looked at the selection and again went right for the raw vegetables and fruit. She decided to take some bread this time and an ear of corn. As she was filling her plate Logan came up beside her.

"Ror, since when do you eat raw vegetables? Here, let me get you a piece of meat." Logan said as he reached for her plate to have some pork put on it.

"No, Logan, thank you, "she said and pulled her plate back. She then walked away from the table and grabbed a bottle of water. She found a quiet spot away from people.

"Sorry, hey I didn't mean to upset you," Logan said sitting beside her. "Talk to me, what's going on? I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, Logan, and at one time more," she said looking up at him.

"Well I would like that again," Logan said.

Just then Jess and Finn came over.

"There's our love," Finn said to Jess. "We thought we lost you," Finn smirked knowing what he was doing.

"So, Colin told me the news… so we are going to be uncles." Finn looked at Rory with a big grin.

"Uncles? "Logan said.

"Wait, did Steph tell him?" Rory said.

Jess looked at Finn then at Rory. "Why would Steph tell him? We figured you told him."

"Why would I tell Colin about Stephanie?" Rory said.

Then Logan, Jess and Finn all said, "Steph is pregnant?"

"Wait, Finn isn't that what you were talking about?" Rory asked.

Just then Marty Steph and Colin walked over to where the four of them were sitting.

"Did someone just say my name?" Steph said.

Finn jumped up and picked up Stephanie and twirled her around.

"Finn what are you doing with my wife?" Colin said.

"Congratulations Colin, Finn just told us the news." Logan said shaking his hand.

Colin looked at Finn then Steph then Rory.

He turned to Marty and said, "Do you know what they are talking about?"

Finn looked at them and said, "Okay you told us that we were going to be uncles."

Rory looks at Steph. "Oh, I am sorry, I thought you told him," she said embarrassed.

Marty came and sat beside Rory on the chaise.

Steph turned and looked at Colin. "Well honey, this isn't how I was going to tell you but all the practicing we have been doing has paid off."

"What? We're pregnant?! Marty did you hear that. we're pregnant," Colin shouted.

"Steph sit, sit," he says taking her glass away. "No more drinks for you. Put your feet up. Logan, go get something for the girls to drink...Rory we bought the bubbling cider for you right? Okay Logan, go get the cider for the girls and champagne for us. We are going to have a baby."

Logan looks at Colin and then Finn. Jess grabs Logan's arm and said, "You heard the man, let's get some drinks."

As the two men walk to the waiters to ask for the champagne, cider, and glasses Logan turns to Jess. "Why does Rory need bubbling cider and not Champagne?" he asks.

"She didn't say anything to you?" Jess replied.

"About what?" Logan responded.

"For someone who graduated from Yale you can be pretty thick sometime. Think about it, Logan. Rory has no meat on her plate, she is eating fruit and vegetables and drinking water. Do I need to spell it out?" Jess stated.

"She's pregnant?" Logan asked Jess in shock.

Jess said. "Yes, and she's going to need her friends more now than before."

Logan picked up the bottles and Jess carried the tray of glasses over to the group. Colin grabbed the bottle of champagne and opened it and Marty grabbed the bottle of sparkling cider and opened it. The men poured the champagne and cider into the glasses.

Once they were all passed out, Colin said, "I would like to make a toast,

 _There_ _are good_ _ships,_

 _and there are wood ships,_

 _The ships that sail the sea._

 _But the best ships, are friendships,_

 _And may they always be."_

They clinked their glasses and enjoyed each other's company. As the party continued the group slowly moved apart. Colin and Steph leaving first to go and talk to their other guest. Marty and Rory stood up and walked back over to talk to the Hager's. Rory introduced them to Marty. Logan stood on the balcony watching Rory. She did look beautiful tonight. He noticed that Marty and Josh Hager were talking and saw it as his chance to talk to both Rory and Jenna. He recognized her as a journalist on NBC news, good he has something they could talk about.

He walked over to the women.

"Rory, "he put on his best smile and extended his hand to Jenna saying, "Logan Huntzberger.'

"Hello, I am Jenna Hager. So, Rory this was your ex?" she said looking at Logan.

Logan turned and looked at Rory and smiled. "Yes, it was the biggest mistake of my life letting her get away," he said.

Rory turned and raised her eyebrow at him. "You're admitting that a little bit too late."

And the three people began to laugh. They started talking about the news and how Jenna got into the business. Logan was explaining to Jenna how he was in the process of opening his own news broadcasting studio and his idea of having the news available for the people to use on their personal devices. Marty and Josh came walking back to join the group.

"Well I hate to say it but we have to leave, we want to get back to the kids. Logan, it was nice to meet you, you too, Marty. Rory call me when you get back to the city and we will talk," Jenna said.

"Good night" everyone said together and Jenna and Josh walked away towards the door.

"Rory, would you mind going for a walk with me around the grounds?" Logan asked. "You don't mind do you Marty?"

Rory looked up at Marty and he smiled down letting her know he was ok with it.

"Sure, Logan," she said.

The two of them followed the lit path on the grounds and went to the koi pond where Marty and Rory walked together on Saturday. They walked silently beside each other.

"SOOO," Logan said.

"Logan?" Rory said to him.

They stopped walking and he took her hand, "Ror, I am sorry that I haven't been around much. I've missed you," he said.

" Logan…."

"No listen let me speak, I know that the next few months are going to be tough but I want you to know I am here for you. I want you back in my life again," he told her.

"Logan...it's too soon. I don't know if I can. I should have told you when we were in Central Park that was the day I supposed to be married. I never should have suggested that we go to Central Park. I'm sorry I freaked out on you. How could I have not known I was pregnant that day. I am ten weeks pregnant, Logan, and I never ever realized it. Now my child will never see his father because of some stupid random act of violence, or his great grandfather or grandmother. I am all alone my dad has left and now lives in England with my half-sister. Logan everyone leaves me… I can't," she says crying.

Logan wraps his arms around her and pulls her into him. "Rory, I am so sorry I left you. I am sorry I told you it's now or never. I was such a stupid kid. But we aren't kids anymore. Please will you give me a chance us a chance? Can we start out as friends and see what happens?" he asks.

Rory pulls away and looks at him. "Logan... Please understand… I have to wrap my head around all these changes, "she says with tears in her eyes.

He holds her against his chest and his eyes fill with tears. He can't bear to see her like this and using his thumb he wipes the tears from her face.

"Ace, I want you to know I will be checking up on you. Okay?" he whispers in her ear.

She pulls away from him and looks into his warm brown eyes. She nods and gives him a weak smile.

"Okay come on, let's go back to the house, it looks like Finn has the fire pit going and he has pulled out his guitar," he said as he led her back up to the house.

When they returned Rory walked around the group to where Steph was sitting and sat beside her. Marty had been standing with Jess and the two of them were talking about his next book that he was writing. Marty and Jess looked at Rory and noticed that Logan was standing beside Colin and Finn.

Suddenly Finn got up and told everyone to raise his glass.

 _"Here's to you and here's_ _to me,_

 _Friends may we always be!_

 _But, if_ _by chance_ _we disagree,_

 _Up yours! Here's to me!"_

Everyone took a drink and started to laugh. Then Finn grabbed his guitar, and he started to play. Marty and Jess walked over to where Rory was sitting on a chaise. Jess sat behind her and pulled her close to him. She smiled. Marty sat in the deck chair on the other side of her. Rory felt safe for the first time in a long time. Her mother and father maybe gone, but she had a new family, a family of friends. She smiled and hummed along as Finn sang.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **Rory was just leaving a meeting with her news team when Chris, her executive producer came over to her. A new reporter was joining the team, and he wanted to make sure she met him.**

" **Rory, can you come up to my office in ten minutes?" he asked.**

" **Sure, Chris, I need to go back to my desk and drop off these notes I have made from our meeting and I will be right up," Rory replied.**

 **Rory took the elevator to the second floor. Thinking about her weekend, and how sick she is in the morning, she wondered if she should tell her boss about her pregnancy. This news was still so new to her that maybe she wasn't ready to share this with her boss. All the rooms at CBS had glass walls so she saw that Chris was talking to a man around her age. Rory knocked on the glass door before she entered.**

" **Ah, here she is - one of our Associate Producers in Studio 57, Rory Gilmore. This is Dan Sheppard, he is the new newscaster joining us," Chris said introducing them.**

" **Hi, Dan, welcome to the team," Rory said shaking his hand.**

" **Thank you, it's nice to meet you too, Rory, is it?" Dan said.**

" **Rory, I have a special project I want you to work on with Dan. I thought the two of you could start today," Chris told her.**

 **Rory sat down at the table with Dan and Chris. Chris went over the project that they had been discussing. The meeting went on for an hour, and Rory took notes and gave suggestions. The three of them had been working for over an hour when Chris's phone rang. Hanging up, he told Dan and Rory he had another meeting and left. Dan looked at his watch and then over at Rory.**

" **You know, it is two pm, you wouldn't know of a good place to eat around, here would you?" he asked her.**

" **Well we have our favorite cafes that are not far from here," Rory said with a smile.**

" **Well if you're not busy, would you like to join me for lunch? I don't know many people here and maybe you can show me the city."**

 **Rory laughed, "You're not very subtle, Mr. Sheppard."**

" **So, is that a yes?" he asked.**

" **Yes, let me get my purse," she said, and he followed her to her office.**

 **Looking around her office, he saw the photograph she had on her desk of Marty and her. It was the photo that Steph had taken of them having their caricature drawn. Before she left Steph had put it in a shell adorned frame. Rory placed it on her desk when she got in that morning and hadn't decided where she was going to keep it. He picked it up and asked, "Is this your boyfriend?"**

 **Rory looked up at him and noticed what he was holding. "Oh, well he is a close friend."**

" **So not a boyfriend?"**

 **Rory smiled at him. "Okay, I think I have everything. Let's go. What would you like to eat, you name it and the city has it?"**

" **Surprise me," Dan said and as he put his hand on the small of her back and guided her out her office door.**

 **Rory and Dan walked to 50 Rockefeller Plaza to Del Frisco's Grille. Since it was a beautiful day, she asked for a table for two outside on the patio. The hostess brought them to a table with an umbrella, and handing them menus, she took their drink orders telling them their waiter would be over.**

" **You're familiar with Sam Adams? I thought you were from California?" Rory asked.**

" **Well, I have lived there the last eight years but I am from Quincy, Massachusetts," he said.**

" **Oh, I am from Connecticut myself - a small town outside of Hartford," Rory said. "So, you went out west for a job? I was out there for a while," she said.**

" **Oh, when?" Dan asked.**

" **I worked on the Obama campaign trail after I graduated from Yale in 2007. It was my first job, and I got to travel…. but after years of being a freelance reporter, I was glad to come back to New York and stay put," Rory said.**

" **That's funny, I was a freelance reporter too, but I went to Cornell University ending up in California where I got a job working as a journalist for HPG. I left HPG a year ago, I was offered a job as an anchor at CBS in California. This job in Manhattan became available, and I received a phone call asking if I would be interested. So, I packed my bags and came back east deciding that I had enough of the west coast," Dan said.**

 **Rory said nothing when he mentioned HPG. He might know Mitchum, and she wasn't ready to go into that with Dan yet. The waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders. She ordered the Roasted Tomato Flatbread, and he ordered the Steak House Salad. They talked at the table, sharing the different stories they wrote and their experiences at school. He told her what it was like going to school in upstate New York on the Cornell Campus. As she listened to him describe the lake and the surrounding areas, she remembered the stories that Ace told her of that place and the trip he took her there one fall for her birthday. They paused their conversation when the waitress returned with their food.**

 **Everything looked and smelled delicious. So far, the ginger tea she had this morning had settled her stomach, and she could enjoy the flatbread. As they were finishing their meal, she heard a familiar voice call her name. She looked up and walking towards her table was Logan with another man.**

" **Rory, I didn't expect to see you today." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "I was going to call you later to set up a dinner date this week."**

 **He looked over the table to the man she was having lunch with. He smiled in recognition.**

" **Well, if it isn't Dan Sheppard," he said with his forced smile that Rory was familiar with.**

 **Dan stood up and shook Logan's hand.**

" **Mr. Huntzberger, it's good to see you," Dan said with a forced smile.**

 **Rory knew right away that the two men had history, but she wasn't sure what it was.**

" **Logan, I would ask you to join us but we were just finishing our meal. Dan and I were just going back to the studio to work on a project," Rory said feeling the tension at the table.**

" **No, no that's okay. Oh, Rory, I want you to meet my business partner, Liam Cooper," Logan said.**

 **Liam stepped forward and smiled at Rory. "So nice to meet you, Rory, Logan has told me much about you," he added.**

 **Rory looked at Logan and said nothing. She then turned to Liam with a smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Liam."**

 **She then signaled to the waitress for their check. The waitress came over and went to hand her the check when Dan took it. He handed the waitress the money and told her to keep the change.**

 **The two of them stood up and smiling, Rory said, "Logan, I am sure I will hear from you, and Liam it was nice to meet you."**

 **Dan just nodded his head at the two gentlemen, and he placed his arm on Rory's shoulder and they walked out of the restaurant.**

 **Liam looked at Logan. "So, that is Rory Gilmore. She is beautiful, I can't believe you let her get away, Logan."**

" **I regret that every day," Logan said as the two men headed inside to sit near the bar and have their lunch.**

 **Rory and Dan continued to walk back to the studio. Once he was a distance from the restaurant, he removed his arm from her shoulder. She looked at him and smiled.**

" **Thank you for doing that," Rory said. He looked at her and raised his eyebrow. "Putting your arm on my shoulder."**

" **Oh, that. It was instinct," he said. "So, you know Mr. Huntzberger?" he asked.**

" **Yes, both," Rory said.**

" **Oh, so you know Mitchum too," Dan said.**

" **You call Mitchum by his first name but Logan who is around your age is Mr. Huntzberger. I sense a story here," she said.**

" **And he called you Rory and said he would call you for dinner, I sense there is a story there too," he said back to her.**

" **As my fiancé would have said, vous êtes très attentif," she said to him.**

" **The man in the picture was French? And he was your fiancé?" Dan asked.**

 **They reached the studio, and he opened the door They took the elevator to her office as she continued the conversation.**

" **No, the man in the picture is not French, and he wasn't my fiancé; he is just a close friend from Yale," Rory said.**

" **So, is there a French fiancé?" he asked.**

" **Not anymore," she sighed. The elevator doors opened, and the two walked back to her office. They sat down and worked.**


	22. Chapter 22

Dan left her office around seven and Rory stayed and worked on her notes for tomorrow's morning news broadcast. She hoped she doesn't get a call from Gayle early in the morning. Lately, she was tired in the morning no matter how early she went to bed. She needed that ginger tea to soothe her stomach and get her moving. She had pulled out the picture she kept of Ace from her wallet and was looking at it when her cell phone buzzed, she looked at the picture that came up and smiled.

"Hi," she said leaning back in her office chair.

"Hi, I was wondering if you feel like company tonight," Marty said. "I can pick up Chinese food and be at your place by eight."

"That would be perfect. I am just finishing up now."

"Are you still at the studio?"

"Yes, I am," she answered as she closed her computer, she put Ace's picture away and straighten her desk.

"I will be there in ten minutes. I'll have my car come and pick you up and then we can get Chinese together."

"Okay, I will be down in the lobby waiting," she smiled and ended the call.

She gathered her bag and tablet and shut her office door. She walked over to the production team that was working the evening news and said goodnight to them. She took the elevator down and by the time she walked to the door of the lobby, the town car had pulled up. She walked over to it and the driver came and opened the door for her. As she slid into the seat, Marty reached over pulling her close and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Hi there. Would it freak you out if I tell you I have been thinking about doing that all day?" he said to her looking into her beautiful blue eyes.

"No, I'm not freaked out and I am glad you were thinking about me. Did Steph give you a picture she took of us?"

"You mean this one?" he asked, showing her the picture that Steph had sent to him on his phone.

"Yes, that one, she printed it and put it in a shell picture frame. I have it on my desk," she admitted.

Soon the car stopped in front of a Chinese restaurant that wasn't too far from his place. Marty got out and picked up his order and then returned to the car.

"Do you mind if we go back to my apartment?" he asked.

"No that would be great," she replied smiling at him.

They arrived at his apartment. It was a beautiful apartment in Chelsea called the Caledonia. He lived in a one bedroom, two bathroom apartment that was 820 square feet, with a beautiful view of the city. Rory looked around his apartment and walked to the window. His view of the city was amazing. He put the food out on the table and handed her a bottle of sparkling water.

"I ordered a variety of food. I wasn't sure what you wanted to eat, so I ordered extra vegetables," he said.

"Thank you, it smells delicious. I haven't eaten since two pm and I was getting a little hungry," she said.

"Well you know you are eating for two now, so you better make sure you stop and eat," he said looking at her with concern.

She smiled at him knowing he cared that much for her to make sure she was eating.

"How long have you had this apartment?" Rory asked as she ate her chicken fried rice.

"For about two years. I found this apartment and moved in since I spend most of the time at the office here in the city while Colin works at the office in Hartford. I also own a condo in Hartford."

"Wait, you own two law offices?" Rory was surprised that their law firm was so big.

"Yes, McCrae Knight has offices in both locations. I thought you knew since you were so close with Colin and Steph," Marty said.

"No, I spend most of my time, when I was home, with Steph shopping, talking about doing other things. I paid no attention to Colin's work," she said. "Here we were living in the city for two years and neither one of us ever saw each other."

"Well you said you traveled a lot," Marty said.

"Yes, I did and with my mom being sick, I was away more than I was here," she said as she put down her food and sat back on his couch.

"I'm glad you came tonight," he said as he sat next to her.

"I am glad I did too. That picture was a nice surprise from Steph. She was full of surprises this past week, wasn't she?" Rory said.

"That she was," Marty agreed. "I hung up the caricature of us."

"You did? Where?" she asked him.

"Yes, I did, I put it over here by the kitchen," he said. Rory turned and looked. She got up and looked at it and smiled, then she walked over to the window and looked out.

"Would you like to go up to the sun terrace? The city looks beautiful from up there," he said.

"Yes, I would," she said. It was a warm evening, so they took the elevator to the Sun Terrace then they walked through the Zen Garden.

"This is an amazing place. You even have a business center to hold meetings. Do you use it?" asked Rory.

"Yes, sometimes we do but most of the time I am at our offices on 104th Street," Marty said.

"Hey, are you getting cold?" He asked as he put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"No, I'm ok. Let's sit down," she said.

The two of them sat down on the lounge chairs and talked about their day at work. She told him about the new journalist, Dan Sheppard who was just hired and assigned to her team. She talked about the lunch and how Logan ran into them at the restaurant.

"It was strange, Marty. Logan did that fake smile when he saw Dan," Rory said.

"Did Dan say anything to you after you left the restaurant?" Marty said.

"No, he changed the subject," she said. Yawning. "Well, I think I better go. I think I left my purse in your apartment. I better call an Uber for a ride home."

Marty grabbed her hand, "Come on we will get your purse and I will take you home."

"Marty it's ok I can call an Uber," she said.

"No, I am taking you home, Miss Gilmore. Now come on," Marty said with a smirk.

They took the elevator down to his apartment. She retrieved her purse then took the elevator to the garage. Marty hit the button on his fob and his car lit up. They walked over to his car and he helped her in and drove her back to her apartment at the Gateway on Battery Park. Parking his car, they walked into her lobby and over to the elevator. She turned to him to say good night. Holding her around her waist he pulled her close and looked at her. She felt the pull again of his lips. He leaned down and kissed her. The same tingling feeling she felt before returned, she felt herself respond and kissed him in return. He must have felt it because this time he deepened his kiss. They broke away and looked at each other. Both knowing they had to go slow.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at her and said, "You need to get some sleep. I will pick you up at your office for our meeting tomorrow afternoon at four pm. Ok?"

"Good night." she whispered.

He bent down and gave her one last kiss, "Good night." he said and turned and walked out of the door. She pushed the button, the elevator doors opened, and she got on. She pushed the button to her floor and leaned against the wall thinking of that kiss.

"What's wrong with me? I never felt this tingling before. I never felt this when Ace kissed me or even Logan. Why am I feeling this now? Is it too soon? "

The door to the elevator opened, and she walked to her door. She walked in and went to her room to go to bed.

Rory laid in her bed tossing and turning thinking about the kiss she shared with Marty. She got up and picked up her phone and scrolled to her music. She had used her music to help her sleep right after Ace had died. So, she scrolled through the albums she had loaded looking for something soothing that would relax her. Noticing the album, **15 Loves Songs Vol 1,** she and Ace had downloaded when they were planning their wedding. She hit play. She smiled remembering when she found it and how excited she was thinking this would be the perfect place to find the right song for their wedding. They never could agree on a song. The one he liked she didn't **, "Your Every Woman in the World"** By Air Supply, thinking it was too corny. She thought it was not a song for them, so she kept looking. She hit play and closed her eyes, she had her hands on her stomach feeling the bump that was beginning. The music started, and she heard the chords for the theme of the Titanic play. She had watched that movie many times with her mother on their Gilmore Movie Nights, acting out the scene of Jack and Rose.

Then in her mind, she heard the words from the movie,

" _It's not up to you to save me, Jack"_. *

She continued to listen to the music and thought about Ace. Who was going to save her?

 **Every night in my dreams**

 **I see you, I feel you**

 **That is how I know you, go on**

" _Ace are you there?" She whispered._

" _You're right. Only you can do that." *_

 **Far across the distance**

 **And spaces between us**

 **You have come to show you, go on**

 **Near, far, wherever you are**

 **I believe that the heart does go on**

 **Once more you open the door**

 **And you're here in my heart and my heart will go on and on**

She thought of her mother and missed her. If she was here, she could talk to her about these feelings...

 **Love can touch us one time**

 **And last for a lifetime**

 **And never let go till we're gone**

 **Love was when I loved you**

 **One true time I hold you**

 **In my life, we'll always go on**

 **Near, far, wherever you are**

 **I believe that the heart does go on**

Placing her hand on her stomach she sang along with the music.

 **Once more you open the door**

 **And you're here in my heart**

 **And my heart will go on and on**

 **You're here, there's nothing I fear**

 **And I know that my heart will go on**

 **We'll stay forever this way**

 **You are safe in my heart and my heart will go on and on**

" _You jump, I jump remember?_ " *

A tear slipped down her cheek and she rolled over and turned off her music and closed her eyes. Yes, she must take the leap and go on with her life.

 **A/N * quotes from the Movie Titanic.**

 **The Theme from Titanic "My Heart Will Go On"**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Rory was sitting in her office finishing her notes when she looked up and saw Marty walking towards her office. She got up and opened her door to let him in.

"Welcome to the _Fishbowl,"_ she said and gave him a hug. "Is it time to go?"

"I'm early so I thought I would come up and see where you worked. I have never been in a studio before. There's a lot of security to go through to see you." he chuckled.

She noticed he was wearing a guest badge. "So how did you get that?" she grinned.

"Oh, a journalist named Dan Sheppard saw me talking to security and heard me say I was coming here to see you. So, he told security that he knew me and then they gave me the pass," he replied.

Rory smiled and thought she must remember to say thank you to Dan when she saw him later.

She picked up her purse and said, "Well come on I will give you a quick tour of Studio 57 before we leave."

They walked out of her office and walked into the studio where the magic happens. She showed him the CBS anchor table that has seating for 3 - 7 people, the wall of CBS memorabilia, the pods where you will see the social media producer sit at, the area where Charlie Rose sits with his assistants, the video wall that is a replica of what you see in the control room and the original map that belonged to Walter Cronkite. Next Rory brought him to the Green Room with the glass walls. This room was popular with their guest making them feel that they were part of the show. She then brought him into the newsroom where she introduced him to some of the people that were on her team. They finished the tour and took the elevator to the lobby. He turned in his badge at reception desk. Rory made sure his name was now on the list to see her and they walked out to his awaiting town car.

The car brought them to Liberty Street where PSL headquarters were. They took the elevator to the 16th floor to the conference room. They got out of the elevator and walked towards the conference room where Colin was waiting for them. Marty gave their name to the receptionist, and she led them into the room offering them water, coffee, or tea while they wait. Marty and Rory accepted her offer of water and Colin declined since he had so much coffee already today. They had not waited long when Mike Ross appeared with his paralegal Donna Meyers. They introduced themselves and sat down.

"Miss Gilmore, I want to extend my condolences to you. I have worked with your fiancé

for a few years now. He was a wonderful man." Mike said.

"Thank you." Rory replied fighting back the emotions she was feeling.

"I want to take the time to go over the will that Ace Gerrard had made about one month before he died. He changed his will so you now are the sole recipient of his estate and holdings." Mike continued.

"What does that mean?" she said to Colin and Marty.

"It means that all his assets, real estate, 401K, trusts, and insurance all belong to you." Mike continued.

"What? He did this six months before he died? That was just before he proposed." Rory said with tears rolling down her eyes. "Why, what does this all mean?"

Colin was looking at the paper work as Mike was explaining the inheritance she was receiving. He passed it over to Marty, and he looked through it.

"It means you are a very wealthy woman," Colin said.

"But what good is this when it won't bring him back, he won't be here to be the father to our child." Rory cried and sobbed.

Marty reached over and pulled her into his chest as she cried. Donna walked over and handed her a box of tissues. Everyone sat while Rory pulled herself together.

"I am sorry this is so overwhelming." she whispered.

"Take your time, listed on this paper are his holdings, his net worth, his insurance information. I need you to sign this paper saying we went over everything with you today and then your lawyers can contact the different banks, agencies and insurance companies for you. Do you have questions?" Mike asked.

"Does it mention his parents? Didn't he leave anything to them?" Rory asked.

"No, he has left everything to you. Now there is the insurance policy from CBS, that might be difficult to get your claim, but since it was such a publicized death, you should be able to receive the insurance money without difficulty, since you are carrying his child." Mike continued.

Colin and Marty rose and shook Mike's hand. Mike turned to Rory and said, "Again I am sorry for your loss. If you ever need any help from us in any way, please don't hesitate and contact us."

Rory took his hand and shook it and gave him a weak smile and walked out followed by her lawyers. They walked to the elevator and got on. Rory was silent as they walked to the town car. All three got in when Colin broke the silence.

"Ror, do you want to go back to work or do you want to go home?" he said.

"You know, could you bring me to Jess' store?" she asked.

Marty looked at her and the two men nodded in agreement. Colin gave the driver directions to Dodger Books on Mercer Street. She leaned against Marty and closed her eyes. It now seemed so final, but she needed to go on not just for herself but for their baby. Sitting up she placed her hand on her stomach and looked at the two men.

"Thank you," she said.

Marty and Colin looked at her with sad eyes. Marty felt like his heart was breaking for her. He grabbed her hand and put it up to his lips and kissed it.

"It will be ok, Colin and I will make sure you and the baby will be ok. Don't worry Ror," he said.

The driver pulled up in front of the store and came over to open it for her. She slid out and Marty started to get out with her.

She looked at him and said, "No go. I am ok, Jess will make sure I will get home safe. I promise to let you both know when I get home."

The driver closed the door of the car, and she turned and walked toward the store. As she got to the door, she turned and waved to the car, then pulled the door open and walked in.

Rory loved Jess' store. The smell of the old books and vinyl records was her comfort. Her happy place. She walked around the store looking at the records and smiling remembering when she was in high school and she took the bus to NYC to find Jess. He took her to a store just like this. Jess came from the back talking on his Bluetooth to his publisher. He looked up and noticed her standing at the records.

"Listen I've got to go. Someone important just came into my store. I will call you back."

He pushed his Bluetooth button to off and giving her a big hug, he said, "Hey, I've been thinking about you."

She hugged him back and cried.

"Rory, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Everything. It is so final, he will never come back Jess. I keep waiting for him to walk through the door and say my name. To hold me to kiss me. He is never coming back," she cried in his arms.

He led her to the back of the store where his office was and had her sit down. He got her a bottle of water and told her to take a drink. She took the water after a few sips she looked up at him.

"So today was the day you saw his lawyer I take it."

"Yes, he left me everything Jess, his cars, homes, money… everything. He did this before he even proposed. How was he so sure I would say yes?"

"Because he knew you loved him and he loved you."

"But how can I go on?"

"Ror he also left you with something else. His child and you will go on."

"Alone?!"

"Ror you're not alone, you have me, Colin, Steph, Finn, Marty. You know, Ror, I was watching both Marty and Logan at the party this weekend. Both those men have strong feelings for you."

"What are you talking about? They're just friends."

"Finn and I think they want to be more than friends, especially Logan."

"Logan? I don't know Jess, and Marty?

Jess nodded.

"It's too soon, I don't want to talk about it," she told him.

"Well I am here when you want to talk about it. You know that, right?" he said.

"I know that Jess, and thank you," she said and lean back in her chair.

"Oh, here, this is for you. Your niece or nephew," she said as she reached into her purse and handed him a copy of her first Ultrasound.

"Thanks, this is my niece or nephew…wow their first picture. Thanks Ror," he said taking the photograph from her.

"Jess, can we go see Luke this weekend? I want to go see him and tell him about the baby and I want to see Sookie too." she asked.

"Of course, anything you want."

He walked over to her and pulled her out of the chair and hugged her. They stood for there in an embrace. He pulled away and looked at her in her blue eyes. Seeing the tears, he wiped them with his thumb off her cheeks.

"It's going to be ok, I'm here." He pulled her in and kissed the top of her head.

"So, we will leave Friday and stay as long as you want. How does that sound? Now let's go get you something to eat and feed my little niece or nephew. OK?"

"Ok," and she hugged him again thinking that Jess was always her rock when she thought she couldn't go on.

Jess brought Rory back to her apartment by 7 pm. He walked her into her building and once he saw her get on the elevator he walked back to the UBER and went home. Rory went into her apartment and put her left over meal away. Walking into her room she sent a message to both Colin and Marty letting them know that she was home. Removing her dress, she got ready for bed plugging in her phone by her bed to charge. Listening to music on her phone she relaxed and fell asleep.

Rory woke up to her phone beeping at 7 am. Groaning and reaching over she turned off the alarm. Remembering the meeting that morning at eight thirty, with the executive producer Rory got ready for work. She walked to the subway and took the short train ride to her stop. Feeling better she walked into the newsroom and sat down at her desk. Rory was busy going over the messages that she had received yesterday when her phone beeped. Looking down at the message she wasn't sure if she wanted to respond to it. It was Logan. She thought about what Jess had told her last night. Why did he think that Logan had feelings for her? He made his feelings very clear nine years ago. Too much time has passed.

" _Good morning Ror, I was wondering if you would have dinner with me tonight. I will pick you up by 8 pm. See you then." L_

Well that is presumptuous, she was so annoyed that he assumed that the answer was yes. Many years ago, she would have dropped everything for him but not anymore. Rory picked up the phone ready to send him a message when she looked up and saw Dan.

"Hey, are you ready to go to the meeting?" he asked.

"Yes I am. Do you know what the meeting is about?" she asked him.

"No, I was hoping you had an idea," he replied.

The two of them walked out to catch the elevator to the next floor where Chris had his office. They were not the only ones at the meeting. Rory introduced Dan to the other producers, and they sat down waiting for Chris to come in. Chris came into the conference room and explained the reason for the meeting. There had been new developments overnight in Washington DC and in Europe. So, he was looking for producers and staff to volunteer to make the trip. A few producers and journalist volunteered. Dan looked at Rory and raised an eyebrow and she shook her head no. Six months ago, she would have volunteered, but now she wasn't ready to travel or had the desire to travel.

They walked out of the meeting and went back to the newsroom. Dan sat down at her desk and looked at her. Sensing that there was something bothering her he handed her a bottle of water.

"I haven't known you long, but I sense that you have something on your mind." he said.

"So is this a _Spidey_ sense or _Clark Kent_ super power you have, Rory joked.

"Oh well you are quick as well as smart," he laughed at her references to the super heroes. "You know, I am a good listener," he said looking at her.

"Ok, how about after work we go to the Hamilton? We can eat and talk privately there," she suggested.

,

"Perfect. I will meet you here later today." he got up and winked at her and went over to his desk.

The newsroom was busy that day. Rory shared the news of her pregnancy with only a few people on her team, she told her assistant Brie first. Rory and Brie had grown close since they both started working there, so knowing Rory's eating habits she took the time to stock her desk with snacks and putting extra bottles of water in the staff room refrigerator. Around eleven Brie stopped by Rory's desk and told her she would order lunch, Rory smiled and told her it wasn't necessary, but Brie insisted. Around twelve thirty Brie brought her a salad and a soup.

"Brie, you're spoiling me," Rory smiled at her.

"No, I want to make sure you don't pass out on me, like my sister did when she was pregnant and forgot to eat." Brie said.

"Thank you and I promise I will eat." she told her.

Rory got right back to work, stopping every few minutes to eat her soup. She continued to work through the rest of the day. Getting up she walked into the fishbowl to talk to the anchors, returning to her desk to check updates and news stories coming through the AP. Working in the 'Fish Bowl' she often forgets to look out the windows. Since it was summer and still daylight, she doesn't realize the time until Dan is standing beside her desk.

"Ok Lois, it's time to take a break and have dinner and drinks," smiled Dan.

"Lois?" Rory looked around wondering if there was another new reporter that joined their team.

"Yes, if I am your Clark Kent, then you will need to be my Lois Lane," he snickered.

"Hakha. You think you're so funny." she laughed.

Just then Brie came by to check on Rory. She saw her laughing and talking to the new handsome journalist that she hadn't met yet, so she walked over.

"So, what's so funny, Rory?" she asked.

"Oh, Dan has given me a nickname. Lois Lane. Oh Brie, have you met Dan yet?" Rory introduced them.

"Hi Brie nice to meet you." Dan said to Brie.

"Rory, I came over to see if you wanted to join us tonight at the Hamilton, it's been awhile since you came out with us." Brie said.

"Well I suggested to Dan this morning that we should go there. Why don't we meet you there? Could you save us a table please?" Rory said.

Brie said she would and left the two of them sitting there. Closing her computer and straightening her desk, she put her phone in her purse and followed Dan out of newsroom.

"Dan would you mind if I meet you in the lobby? I have to use the ladies room." she said to him.

"Sure, I will meet you down there."

Rory went into the ladies' room and freshened up. She pulled out her brush and brushed out her hair and added lip gloss to her lips. As she was putting her brush back in her purse, she checked her phone. There were several messages. Looking at the message from Marty she smiled and typed him a reply. Rory told him that she was going out to dinner with her team and would call him later. As she walked to the elevator reading the message he sent back, she heard a ping notifying her of another message. It was from Logan. She had forgotten about the message she got earlier telling her that he was taking her to dinner. That still annoyed her so she sent him a message.

" _Logan, it has been such a hectic day. I am going out with my team to the Hamilton for drinks and dinner. If you want you could meet us there." R_

She closed her phone and smiled as she walked out of the elevator and saw Dan waiting for her there.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N**

 **This is a longer chapter. You will find out Logan's reaction is to Dan, and how Rory responds. Remember this is** **Fiction.** **I wanted to tell a different story. For those who are Rogan fans, I hope you will continue to read because as the story progresses you will find that Rory will have Logan in her life. Like all old wounds, it takes time to heal. Rory will be able to overcome her obstacles with the help of all her Yale Friends.**

 **Chapter 24**

Dan and Rory chatted as they walked towards the restaurant.

"Remember you will tell me what was going on this morning… is this a place where we can talk?" he asked.

"Yes, we can talk to the gang, then find a table in the back so we have some privacy," she answered

He held the door open, and they walked in. Brie was watching for them and waved her arms. Roy led the way and Dan followed to where the team was sitting. He said hello to everyone and Rory introduced him to some of the other producers and their assistance that he hadn't met yet. He asked her what she would like to drink, she asked for tonic water and lemon so he went to the bar and got their drinks. When he returned with the drinks they sat down with the team. Rory began to sense that Dan wanted to talk to her alone, so she walked over to the hostess and asked if there was a quiet table in the back that they could sit at. The hostess smiled and nodded yes. Rory motioned to Dan, and he got up and followed Rory to a back-corner table where they could sit and talk.

The waitress came over taking their drink and food orders. When their drinks returned, they clinked glasses.

"To friends," he said.

She smiled, "To friends. So, I guess you have questions, 'Clark'. What would you like to know first?"

"Well you told me you went to Yale and you're from Connecticut but you didn't tell me why you looked so sad today. It surprised me that someone with your talent and experience didn't jump at the chance to travel to cover the story. Instead, you let other producers and journalist go." he said and taking a sip from his Rob Roy he looked at her.

"It's just…. well, I am no longer able to travel. I am expecting." she said softly.

"Congratulations, that's wonderful news. You and your fiancé must be happy." he felt safe to say that because she was still wearing a beautiful diamond ring on her ring finger.

She twisted the ring and looked up at him, "He would have been if he knew."

"Oh, you are no longer together? I thought that he was since you still have your ring on."

"It's just that…." just then they were interrupted.

"Rory! Oh, hello Sheppard, I thought you were having dinner with your team." Logan stated.

"Logan, I am, Dan is a member of my team." she answered.

Dan noticed how dark her blue eyes got just then. There was history there, and he wondered if this was that girl. When he worked for HPG, he had heard that the son of Mr. Huntzberger Sr. was returning to London after taking a job at a computer company in California. Dan was a new journalist and traveled for the paper so he attended many functions. He heard rumors of how Logan's college sweetheart and turned down his marriage proposal causing him to do some careless things leaving his father to clean up his mess. Now he was wondering if Rory was that girl. He had a new respect for Rory now. Many girls had difficulty not falling for Logan Huntzbergers charms. His sister was one of them. She had been dating him for less than a year, moved in with him and became engaged. Then she caught him in bed with another woman. She came to California in tears too embarrassed to return home to their parent's in Quincy, Mass.

Logan pulled up a chair to the table and joined them.

"Rory, I hope you don't mind if I join you since this is just a casual evening and not a date," he said looking at Dan. "Where is Marty tonight."

"Logan, what is your problem. Dan and I were talking about work, Marty is at his place. Would you like me to call him and have him join us too? I am sure I can call Finn, Colin, and Jess and they would be happy to come down for a few drinks." Rory said, her eyes getting darker with anger.

"Don't bother I will call them now." picking up his phone and quickly hitting Finn's number on speed dial.

"Hey, come on down, I am at the Hamilton on Amsterdam Ave with Ace we can have some drinks," Logan said.

Just then the waitress brought their food and asked Logan if he would like to order,

"Yes, I would like a flight of the Scotch Men and your House Burger," he said with his smile.

"So, what are you two talking about? A new story?" Logan said looking at the two of them.

Dan looked at Rory, she stopped talking so he did some digging.

"I was just asking 'Lois Lane' here about her experience. I found out that she was from Connecticut and went to Yale working on the newspaper before she graduated and went to become a reporter on Obama's campaign trail." Dan said.

"Lois Lane, huh, that's a new nickname Ace," Logan said looking at Rory.

"Logan, don't! Don't say his name!" she quickly got up and left the table. Brie who was watching the whole tabloid play out quickly excused herself and followed Rory into the bathroom.

"Logan, I see you haven't changed one bit. You still know how to hurt the girls," Dan said in disgust.

"What did she mean don't say his name? Why did you call her that?"

Logan lifted his eyes to the ceiling. Just then the waitress returned with his flight of whiskey. Taking one shot he drank it fast.

"Why did you call her Lois Lane?" Logan asked back glaring at him.

Dan looked at him in disgust, "You know Logan one time we were friends, you almost became my brother-in-law. Now I am glad that never happened."

He got up and threw money on the table. Checking to make sure that Rory had her purse he took off towards the restrooms hoping she hadn't left yet. As he walked down the hall, he saw Brie walking out with Rory with her arm on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Brie, I've got it from here. Is there a back exit?" he asked her.

Brie nodded and walked them to it. He led Rory out and they walked down the alley to the front of the bar. Just as they walked out of the alley Finn was getting out of his town car. Finn looked up when he saw the couple and recognized Rory right away.

"Rory, love, what happened?" he asked pulling her into a hug.

Dan stood there wondering who this Aussie was that was hugging her. Rory looked up at Finn with her tear stained eyes and said, "Logan!"

"What did that bloody idiot do now. I told him to leave you alone!" Finn said adding a few more colorful words under his breath.

Rory laughed and then she turned to Dan.

"Oh Finn, this is Dan Sheppard, Dan this is Finn Morgan. One of my dearest friends and guardian angels," she said and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Is Logan drinking?" Finn asked.

"Well he ordered a flight when I left for the bathroom." she said.

"Dan, is it? Will you please escort the lovely Rory home? I better take care of Logan.

"Sheppard, wait I have met you before aren't you Evee's brother?" Finn asked.

"Yes, I am. Now I think about it we met at one of those HPG functions just before I left to work at CBS. I am sorry I didn't recognize you," Dan replied.

"Listen, let's get together." reaching into his breast pocket he pulled out his case with his cards in it.

"Here's my card, call me and we can meet for drinks," Finn said to him.

"Thanks," Dan said taking Finn's card.

"Rory are you ready to get out of her?" he asked.

"Sure, let's go." He put his hand out and whistled for a taxi. Immediately one stopped and the two of them hopped in.

"Where to," the cabbie asked them.

"Gateway Plaza Battery Park," Rory said.

She turned to Dan and said, "That's where I live.

They arrived at the building, and she walked into the lobby and she led him through to the private park that belonged to her building. This was a nice safe place to walk in the evening they could walk by the waterfront. It was twilight, so they strolled through the park together.

"Rory, how do you know Logan?" Dan asked.

With sadness in her eyes, she said, "It's a long story, but the short version is we met at College, fell in love, and then I panicked and said no to his marriage proposal. I haven't seen him in 9 years, he appeared back in my life the day that Ace died."

"Ace, as in Ace Gerrard? Why would he see you then?"

"Ace was my fiancé, that's why I wasn't ready to travel. We used to travel together before he died. He was on his last foreign correspondent job before becoming an executive producer," and her eyes teared up. Dan pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

"Damn hormones." she said as she pulled herself away and wiped her eyes.

Dan chuckled and said, "Now I understand the fruit, vegetables, water and no Red Bull at your desk."

"Yes, I had to give it up cold turkey, I love coffee but right now this little nugget won't let me have it," she said as she patted her stomach.

"So how far along?"

"Not quite 11 weeks. I was never able to tell Ace he was a father. I found out myself last week." she said.

They continued to walk quietly side by side.

"Can I ask you something now?" Rory asked Dan as they stood gazing out over the Hudson.

"Sure, anything." he responded.

"So, what's the animosity between you and Logan."

"I guess you can say there is animosity between us, well Logan almost became my brother in law. He was engaged to my kid sister. She caught him in bed with her best friend."

Rory shook her head "He will never learn. We broke up many times because of his cheating. He was always one for grand gestures and buying me things to apologize. I have a box full of apology gifts from Logan. We would fight, then he would apologize. We tried a long-distance relationship, it was my senior year, he was living in London. He came back to my graduation and in front of everyone in Hartford at my graduation party he proposed. But deep down I knew we weren't ready and I still couldn't trust him." she told Dan.

"So, tell me about Ace. I met him a few times when I was in France." Dan said.

As she told Dan about Ace she smiled. Remembering the funny things, he would do, his love of the water, how he took her sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, the Balloon ride, their trip to Cornell University and going to the vineyards and small wineries in the Finger Lakes. Dan had gone to Cornell was familiar with that area and they talked about the wines up there discussing how beautiful the falls were and asking her if she went to visit Watkins Glen a beautiful destination that had hiking and natural waterfalls along with a National Race Track.

It was getting dark, and the air was getting cooler. Dan and Rory returned to the lobby. He gave her a hug goodnight and went outside where he quickly hailed a cab.

Rory didn't need to be at the studio until the evening news so she had most of the day to herself. She got up at eight am and felt relief that she wasn't sick. She showered and dressed in her comfortable Yoga pants and top. She made herself some ginger tea and a bagel when her phone rang. She picked it up and noticed it was Marty. She smiled and answered it.

"Well Hello there," she said with a smile in her voice.

"Hello back, how are you and the little nugget feeling today?" he asked.

"Good, I was just going to make some ginger tea and a bagel."

"Well, I was wondering if you want to meet for lunch today?"

"That would be great. I am working on the evening news edition tonight so I will go in around 3 today."

"So, would 1 pm for lunch work in your schedule?"

"Yes, it will, Marty. Do you want to meet somewhere?"

"No, Rory I will pick you up, then after lunch, I can then bring you to the studio."

"That would work for me. So, I will see you around one?" she said.

"Looking forward to it…" Marty said as he hung up his phone.

Marty thought about Rory, he missed seeing her. He had an important meeting in Baltimore to go to and would be gone for at least four days. At one time he looked forward to these type of meetings and cases. But now since Rory came back into his life, he didn't like being far away from her. He picked up his phone and called his service to be there at twelve fifteen. He wanted to spend as much time with her before he went away.

Rory drank her tea and was eating her bagel when the buzzer for her apartment rang.

She looked out the peephole and saw Logan. She opened her door.

"Logan, it's a little early for a social call, you could have called," she said.

"Rory, I'm sorry for my behavior," he said, "Can I come in?"

He held out a bouquet of wildflowers that included sunflowers and handed them to her. Rory accepted the flowers and shook her head and moved from the doorway to let him in. She shut the door and went into her kitchen area to find a vase for the flowers.

She brought the flowers to the table that she used as her desk and put them in the center.

"Can I get you something? I might have some coffee pods left." She said as she walked back into the kitchen to fill up the Keurig.

"Sure, that will be ok. You're not drinking coffee?"

"No, believe it or not, coffee and beef are not little nugget's favorite food right now. I am now drinking ginger tea and eating fruits and vegetables, and a lot of chicken," she said with a chuckle.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot about that. So, when are you due?"

"The end of January."

She looked at him as she handed him his mug of coffee. She sat down opposite him on the couch. She decided to let him start the conversation since he came to her. They sat there in silence for a while. He is looking down at his mug, finally, he looked at her.

"Rory, I am sorry about last night. I was an idiot, no I acted like an idiot. Finn let me have it, in fact, he wouldn't let me drink. We sat and ate and he talked to me. Reminding me that I was wrong to assume that I could walk back into your life after all these years."

"Look, Logan, these last nine years I worked hard to build my life and I am proud of where I am today. I just lost my fiancé, I can't go backward to what you think we had, especially now. I have a child that I need to think of."

"Rory, Ace, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday."

Rory sighed she was used to hearing Logan apologize and she wondered if he was the same. She hoped for his sake he had changed, but she wasn't ready to go there. She felt too vulnerable.

"Logan, I am happy to see you and I appreciate your help with the memorial. But I am not ready for anything."" she said with a weak smile.

Logan smiled back at her, "I know, Finn told me. But, Ror, I was wondering if you would go out and have dinner with me sometime. I also would like you to go with me to check out the studio space my partner and I are considering purchasing?"

"Logan, I don't know. I have a job that keeps me very busy, but I guess I could, it will have to wait until next week. I am leaving tomorrow to go to Stars Hollow with Jess. It has been a few months since I've been there."

"Soooo, are you and Jess serious?"

Rory laughed, "Logan what are you asking me? Wait, you are coming over this early this morning, was it to check to see if I was alone or that Dan wasn't here with me!"

"No, no Rory that's not it at all, I knew that you and Jess were once serious. At the bonfire, you were sitting with Jess on the chase together. Then I see you with Dan last night. I was just wondering what was going on."

"Logan, where is this coming from? It's none of your business what my relationship is with Marty, Jess or Dan. But for your information, we are all friends."

They stood up and he took her hands in his, "Rory, I want you to know that I am here too. Please, let me help you."

They walked towards the door. He reached out and touched her cheek. She looked at him with sad eyes. He opened the door and began to walk down the hall.

"Logan," she called to him, "Yes, I will have lunch or dinner with you just like I do with Finn, Marty, Jess and now Dan. Call me next week and I will let you know my schedule and maybe I can see that studio space."

Logan smiled back at her, "Thanks, I have missed you."

Then he walked to the elevator. The door opened, and he stepped in.

She smiled and walked back into her apartment. She picked up the mugs and her phone and called the Dragonfly. She made reservations for two rooms for 1 night and then she called Luke to tell him that she and Jess were coming to visit this weekend.

She was curling her hair when she heard the buzzer go off at her apartment. She looked at the phone to check the time. It was only twelve-thirty, Marty wasn't coming till 1:00 she thought. She turned off her curling iron and quickly brushed her hair. She looked at her peephole and then smiled.

"Hi there," she said with a big smile on her face.

"Hi there yourself," he put his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. He then looked down at her, "I hope it was ok that I came early. I missed you."

"It's okay. I was just finishing up," she told him as she walked into the bedroom to get her shoes and purse. Walking out of her room she saw him looking at the flowers. She walked over to him and put her hand on his arm.

"So where did you think we could have lunch?" she said to him and kissed him on the cheek.

He pulled her into him and kissed her back. He knows that he had to go slow but it is so hard when he has loved her for so long.

"Mmm, as much as I like kissing you this little nugget wants sustenance," she said.

"So, are you admitting you like kissing me?" he said with a smirk.

She nodded her head and then took him by the hand. She knew if she continued to kiss him something more might happen and she wasn't ready for that yet. Kissing Marty stirred up feelings and desires that she wasn't sure she should address yet. She is pregnant with Ace's child. If she acted on these feelings, would she be cheating on Ace?

"Ok, I made reservations for us at the Battery Gardens Restaurant. I figured we can walk from your apartment. It's a beautiful day and we can eat outside and enjoy the view." Marty said.

"Perfect, I'm ready when you are." she said.

She checked to make sure she had her badge to get into the studio and grabbed her purse and they walked to the elevator. They stepped out of the lobby and walked down the Waterfront Esplanade towards the restaurant. Rory took Marty's hand, and they chatted while they walked. She told Marty about last night with her working dinner with Dan, and how it was interrupted by Logan. She told him how he appeared at nine this morning with the flowers and an apology for his behavior.

"He asked me if I would go to dinner or lunch with him and I told him yes, that I would as friends."

Marty stopped and put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Looking down into her blue eyes he said, "What about us, Rory.? Are we friends?"

Looking back at him she again felt the pull of his lips. "I'm not sure, I think it might be more," she replied and kissed him.

To a passerby they looked like any young couple in love, but to them, this meant something more. Rory, just admitted that she had feelings for Marty - something she was just questioning a few minutes ago, and Marty, he got an answer - he had a chance with her, maybe even a lifetime.

They moved apart and holding his hand and leaning her head on his shoulder they continued their walk to the restaurant. The lunch was relaxed, they shared the spinach salad and roasted chicken entrée. Her appetite still was not as big as it was and she found she felt better if she ate little portions. They both ordered the root beer float for dessert. They finished their lunch by two thirty. He called his service, and the car met them out front. In about 15 minutes they made it to Studio 57. The driver opened the door for them and they walked into the lobby hand in hand. He walked her to the elevator door where he kissed her cheek. She pulled him around the corner where there was a partition that would give them some privacy. Putting her arms around his neck she pulled him in for another kiss. He responded not wanting it to end. Finally, they both sighed, and he put his forehead on hers. She smiled back at him and walked back toward the elevators. She stepped into the elevator, hit the button on the newsroom floor and the doors closed. The last thing he saw was her beautiful smile. He turned and walked back to his car.

Sitting in the back of the car he smiled remembering her words, "More than friends Marty, much more."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The newsroom was busy that evening. Stories were coming about the Summer Olympics in Rio. The politics were heating up and everyone was busy in the newsroom. Rory spent most of her time in the newsroom following stories. Brie was standing nearby. Around six pm. Brie walked over with a chicken salad sandwich and some fruit for her and a cup of green tea. Rory looked up from her computer and smiled at her.

"Brie, thank you so much. I almost forgot about eating." Rory said.

Brie smiled at her. "I figured as much. You have been working like crazy since you walked in. It seems to be slowing down, why don't you go in the break room and eat?"

"Perfect idea Brie. Let me grab my food and my phone and I will meet you in there."

Rory picked her food up and then turned the screen on her phone back on. She noticed she had some miss calls and messages. She walked into the break room and sat down and immediately put her feet up on the chair opposite her. Taking a drink of her green tea, she smiled at Brie.

"I don't know what I would do without you," she said. "So, what is new with you?"

"Nothing, Rory, but please explain what was going on with you, Dan, and that good looking blond guy last night who seems jealous of Dan," Brie asked getting right to the point.

"Ah, I see you are using your reporter skills to sniff out a story." Rory laughed in reply.

"And as usual you are avoiding my answers. Come on girl spill." Just then Dan walked into the break room carrying a bag of takeout food. Rory could smell the Indian food and immediately she put her hand to her mouth and ran to the nearest ladies' room.

"Was it something I did?" asked Dan as he saw her running past him.

"No, it's something you plan to eat, I think," Brie answered.

"Ok I will leave, tell her she can come back now," Dan said as he gathered his food and walked out of the break room.

Brie went into the restroom and called out Rory's name.

"I'm over here," she said and Brie noticed her feet under the stall. Rory was sitting on the floor hugging the toilet.

"Remind me not to get pregnant," Brie said as she helped Rory up off the floor. She went to the sink wetting some paper towels for her.

Handing them to her she said, "Hey feeling better? You can come back into the break room Dan and his food left."

Rory gave her a weary smile. "You know I don't think I can go back in there. I think I will go home and work from there. Can you handle the stories from here? You can Facetime me when there are any breaking AP reports."

"Sure," Brie said as she walked Rory back to the newsroom. Rory gathered her things and walked to the elevator. As she was getting on Dan joined her.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that," Dan said.

"Oh, it's no problem, I never know what smell will send me to the bathroom," she said.

"This little nugget doesn't like take-out food. Which is a pity because Mama here doesn't cook."

"What? What do you mean you don't cook?" he asked her as they both got off the elevator and walked to the lobby.

She looked at him and smirked, "Nope I never learned. My mother never cooked either."

He followed her out the doors of the CBS building and hailed a cab for her. He opened the door and put her in it. He gave her address to the cabby and handed the cabby ten dollars for a two-dollar fare.

"Go home and rest, Brie and I will take care of everything. Keep your tablet on and we will Facetime you in about an hour." He tapped the roof of the cab indicating it was ok to leave and he walked back into the building.

When she got back to her apartment, she called Marty.

"Hi, I didn't expect to get a call from you tonight. It's only six forty-five," he said.

"Well, suddenly I don't like the smell of Indian food. So, I spent ten minutes on the floor in the ladies' room. I'm so glad my assistant Brie was there, she and Dan convinced me that I should go home and work remotely."

"Well, I was just finishing my brief. How about I stop at the Battery Place market and pick up some chicken fingers for you and mac and cheese and I will get myself something too? It sounds like you didn't eat and I know you don't have food in your refrigerator."

"But Marty, I should work," she told him.

"Yes, and you still should eat, plus I can bring my laptop and do some work too."

"Ok," she responded with a smile on her face. "Could you pick up some more ginger tea too please?"

"Of course, I will, I will be there in less than thirty minutes. Bye," he said, and he hung up his phone.

He quickly called the deli that was near his office and put in an order for Chicken Fingers with a double side of mac and cheese and chicken parm for himself with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli with garlic and olive oil. He also had them add 2 cupcakes and hot tea. He called for the town car and was on his way in fifteen minutes. Quickly stopping at the Market, he ran inside to pick up his order. Looking around, he found some ginger tea bags and bought those to bring to her apartment. One of these days he will have to take her to Eatly so they can take cooking classes.

She heard the buzzer on her door just as her tablet signaled that Brie and Dan were on. She yelled to them wait a minute and went to the door.

The two of them heard her say, "You are my hero."

Brie looked at Dan and Dan looked at her.

Dan whispered to Brie, "I thought you told me that her fiancé was Ace Gerrard who just died 3 months ago."

Brie whispered back, "It was, do you think it was that handsome blond guy from last night?"

"You mean Logan Huntzberger?!" he said loudly.

Rory hugged Marty and she started giggling.

"Rory, is there someone else here?" Marty asked.

"No, I forgot that just as you arrived I hooked up my satellite so I could conference call with my team," she said. "Come on, let's go put the food on the table and I can start work and so can you."

Marty carried the take-out food to the table. He noticed that she had moved the flowers to the window sill on the opposite side of the room.

"Sorry guys, Marty just came and brought me some food since I didn't eat my supper earlier," she said. "Dan, Brie, this is Marty Knight this is Dan, I think you already met him and my assistant Brianna."

He stood in front of the laptop and said hello then went into her cupboard, looking for plates and silverware.

"Hey Rory, where do you keep your dishes and silverware?" he said.

"Oh, sit down, I'll get it. I will be right back guys," she said to her computer screen as she walked into the kitchen.

Brie poked Dan and Dan poked Brie trying to decide who would interview Marty first. Both were wondering what was going on between these two and it sure sounded like she was giggling by the door.

Finally, Brie asked, "So Marty, how long have you known Rory? And why is she hiding you from me?"

Marty laughed, "Rory, and I went to Yale together - we met our freshman year."

Rory returned with the plates, napkins, and silverware and said, "Guys what's going on? This isn't 20 questions."

Just then Dan said, "Lois, you know we could get a lot more completed if Brie and I come to your apartment. Then we all could get to know each other better and get work done at the same time."

"Well Clark are you going to put your cape on and fly over here with your own assistant, she is much prettier than Jimmy Olsen." she chuckled.

All four of them understood the joke and Brie responded, "We will be right there, Chief" and they hung up.

Thirty minutes later the buzzer rang at Rory's apartment. She and Marty had just finished eating their dinner, and they were both sitting on the couch working on their laptops. Rory got up and went to the door. In walked Brie carrying drinks and behind her was Dan with 2 pizzas and a container with a salad in it.

"Brie, I have already eaten, you didn't have to bring food." she said laughing as they placed the food on the counter.

Dan took out a beer and handed it to Marty. Extending his hand, he said, "Dan Sheppard aka Clark Kent"

Marty laughed, "Martin Knight." Looking at Rory he added, "aka Naked Guy."

"I knew it, I knew there was a story here," said Brie, Rory's assistant as she walked around the room looking at everything. She walked over to the wall of windows and looked out.

"Wow what a view she has, Dan check this out!" Dan got up and walked over admiring the view.

"Thanks," she said. She wasn't used to people being in her apartment. For so long it was her sanctuary for her and Ace but since his death, it felt empty. It felt a little strange to have people here.

"So, let's get busy, what has happened since I left."

The three of them sat down at the table while Marty continued to work on his brief on his laptop. Marty looking up occasionally, smiling at Rory. He enjoyed watching her in her element busy typing information that Brie would give her. Dan was working on the corresponding article, leaning over and proofing their work as they went along. The three worked well together, it was a natural fit. It looked like they had been working for years instead of just a few days. Dan took a break and walked over to Marty.

"So, Marty, you and Rory..." he said.

Marty smiled at Dan and knew where this was headed. The old Marty would have backed away and let someone else step in. He did it with Logan. He wasn't going to do it again. "Yes, me and Rory," he responded.

Rory looked up when she heard this exchange. She got up from her chair and smiled. Brie had just left to use her bathroom so this seems like a good time to take a break. It was nine o'clock now.

"Can I get you both anything?" she asked as she filled her kettle with boiling water to make herself a cup of tea.

"No, we're good," Dan said holding up his beer.

"How about you, Brie?" she asked. "No, I'm good," Brie said as she got herself another beer and came and sat on the couch next to Dan. "But there is something you could do for us."

"What?" Rory responded fearing where this might go.

"Give us the scoop… what's going on between you and Marty?" Brie said.

Rory looked at Marty and he looked at her. He noticed the fear in her eyes. He knew her well enough to know that she would bolt.

So, he said, "We are friends. I have known her for a long time and circumstances brought us back together."

"Okay, so what about that blond guy last night?" Brie said.

Before Rory could say anything, Dan said, "You are talking about Logan Huntzberger. Let's say I knew him before I moved here and we have had our differences."

"You, too?" Marty said.

"Oh, you know Logan?" Dan said to Marty.

"Yes, the three of us went to Yale together," Marty replied and let it drop.

Looking at his Rolex he got up.

"It was great but I have to go back to my apartment and pack. I will be gone for a few days. It was nice to meet you both and I hope to see you again." He walked over and shook Dan's hand and Brie's.

"Marty, let me walk you down," she said and got up with him as he gathered his things and walked to the door. "I'll be right back guys," she said as she followed him out. The elevator doors opened, and he got in and she followed him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said.

"I'm walking you out. I didn't get my good night kiss."

She reached up to his neck and pulled his face to hers. He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. She kissed him back enjoying the taste of his lips. Gently she let her tongue caress his lip and he opened his mouth letting her tongue slip in. He deepened his kiss and pushed her against the wall. Just then they heard the ping and felt the elevator stop. He looked up and realized that they were in the lobby. They broke apart and walked to the lobby door.

He held both of her hands in his and said, "I'll miss you these next few days. Call me when you get to Stars Hollow, tomorrow." he told her.

"I will. Don't you have meetings all day tomorrow in Baltimore?" she asked

"If you get my voicemail, leave me a message but I should have my phone on by five-thirty." he said.

"Is Colin going with you?" she asked.

"No not this time, he met with them last time." he said.

"I've got to get upstairs and go to work. I will text you though," she said with a smile.

"I will look forward to those." He said with a smile. Walking her back towards the elevator he kissed her on her forehead and pushed the elevator button.

"Now get to work and inform the world with what is going on." he said with a smile.

"I am going to miss you," she said and kissing him again.

Leaning his head on her forehead he said, "I'll miss you too."

He kissed her forehead then the tip of her nose.

"Ok, I've got to go. I will call you when I get in Baltimore tomorrow."

Kissing her on the lips again he turned and walked out of the lobby.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

She returned to her apartment and opened the door finding both Brie and Dan sitting at the table working. Dan was on the phone talking to someone. Brie looked up when she walked in and smiled.

"Is everything ok?" Rory asked.

"Yes," Brie responded. Just then Dan got off the phone.

"A big story just broke on the AP, deadly flooding in Louisiana, over 11,000 people are homeless and at least seven have been reported dead. Brie and I are going back to the newsroom," Dan said grabbing his laptop and his phone.

"I should go too," Rory said putting her things together.

"No, we can handle it. You stay here. We will see you tomorrow morning at nine. If there is any other breaking news I'll call you and send a car to pick you up."

She was ready to protest when Brie came over and shook her head.

"Go and rest, take care of the little bambino, we have everything under control."

Brie and Dan packed up their equipment. Rory put the extra pizza in plastic containers for them to bring back to the newsroom. Dan placed his arms around her and gave her a hug.

"I like that guy, Marty," he whispered in her ear.

"Well thanks, I like him too," she said back.

Brie came over and gave her a hug, "We will talk later," she said smiling at her.

"Thank you, guys, for coming over and helping me tonight," she said walking them to the door.

"No problem," they both said and laughed. The two of them walked to the elevator as Rory watched. They would make a cute couple she thought as she shut her door.

The next morning, Rory got into the newsroom by nine am like she had planned. They continued following the story of the flood in Louisiana and had sent reporters down there to report on the search and rescue mission into a flood zone in Ascension Parish. Dan and Brie were leaving as she walked in. They both looked exhausted. She told them she would be gone until Sunday night and made sure they both had her number in case they needed her. They said goodbye, and she sat down at her desk to work.

She had been sitting at her desk for about thirty minutes when her cell phone went off. Thinking it was a news story, she answered it.

"Hi Rory, am I interrupting anything?" Logan asked.

"No, I was just working on some leads for the noon news report," she replied.

"Well I was wondering if you would be free next Friday night?"

"Oh? Friday why?"

"Well there is an HPG function I have to go to, and I thought it would be nice if you would join me as a friend. I don't want to go to this alone. You know my mother will have dozens of women ready for me to talk to and I want to avoid that."

"And you thought bringing me, Rory Gilmore, your ex-girlfriend who she made clear that I wasn't good enough for her precious son, would deter her from trying to match you up with all the models and single women around?" she said.

"Finn will be there," he said hoping that this would encourage her to come.

She hesitated for a moment thinking. If she went this would be a chance for her to do some networking.

"If we go as friends, and since it's an HPG function, then I have one request," she said.

"Oh, and what's that," he said surprised

"That both you and Finn pick me up and together you escort me to this function so it does not appear like we are dating," she said firmly.

"Well I don't know, Finn was bringing his own date," Logan tried to get Finn out of it because he wanted to be alone with her.

"It's the only way I am going, Logan. Listen, call me next week once you have talked to Finn and then I will let you know if I will go or not," she said firmly. "Oh, and Logan, I know about Evee," and then she hung up.

She turned the volume down on her phone and got back to work. Around eleven her phone vibrated again. This time she looked and smiled because it was Marty. She answered the phone and walked out of the newsroom into an empty conference room to take the call. They talked for fifteen minutes ending the call with her agreeing that she would call him when she got to Star Hollow.

At two o'clock Rory gathered her things and said goodbye to her team. She was leaving to head home so she could pack before Jess came to pick her up at three pm. She walked to the subway and caught the next train to Battery Park. She walked back to her apartment, arriving at the twenty-fourth floor she walked to her apartment and opened the door. Under her door was a message saying that there was a delivery for her. She quickly got back into the elevator. When she got to the lobby, she walked over to the attendant and gave him the message that was under her door. He walked to the back office and brought her a package. Not seeing a return address, she wondered who it was from. She brought the package upstairs and opened it. Inside was a beautiful sapphire blue gown. Before opening the card, she knew exactly who it was from. She was furious. She folded the gown back up and left it on her bed. She would deal with this later, she thought. Pulling out her overnight bag she packed the items she needed for the weekend.

She had just finished putting everything away when her phone buzzed. She reached into her purse and recognized Jess' number. She opened the text message he sent her.

" _Downstairs waiting in the lobby. I am double parked so I hope you are ready."_

She quickly grabbed her bag, laptop, and purse and left her apartment locking it before she went to the elevator. She didn't have to wait long for the elevator. As she left the elevator, she notices Jess pacing.

"I am here," she said running towards him.

"Ok let's go, I don't want to get a ticket. I have the doorman watching the car for me," Jess said as he grabbed her bag.

They walked over to his Lincoln MKZ. He popped open the trunk and put her bag and laptop in there. They both got in the car and left. The traffic wasn't too bad. They had been in worse driving back to Stars Hollow. Settling back in her seat she reached for the touchscreen on the sound system. As she reached over to turn it on he slapped her hand.

"What is it with people and their sound system. Steph did the same thing when I touched Colin's car radio too."

"Hey, my car my music," he said and laughed, "Now what do you want to hear? Clash? Or something more modern. Have you heard the group called Smith Radio Band?" he asked her.

He quickly touched the buttons on his steering wheel and the music came on. This time the song **"All the Way"** was playing and she sat back and listened.

"Yes, I do like their music, don't you think the singer looks a lot like Luke?" Rory asked Jess.

"Huh, never thought of it, I can't see my Uncle Luke wearing a bandana. But you know this Scott Patterson is a great guitar player."

They say quietly for a few minutes listening to the music before Jess broke the silence in the car.

"So Ror, how are you feeling? Any better?" Jess asked looking at her as they drove out of the city.

"A little bit. This little nugget doesn't want me to eat Indian Food, beef or drink coffee. So that makes my life interesting."

Jess laughed, "So what are you eating?"

"Well, chicken, fruit, and salad. Plus, I am drinking ginger tea. It settles my stomach and relaxes me."

"I never thought I would see the day when you ate green food. Well, Luke will be happy about that."

"Oh, I am sure he will. Jess, how do you think he will take the news about me being pregnant."

"Ror, he will be happy. He liked Ace, once he got used to him. He saw what a big support he was to you and to him. He took the news of Ace's death hard too, you know," he said.

"No, I didn't realize it. I know at first Mom and Luke weren't sure about Ace. But I never understood why. Now with both gone…" she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She brushed it away and grabbed a water bottle that Jess had put in the car for them both to drink.

Taking a sip, she said, "Jess, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure Ror, anything."

"It's Logan. He keeps coming by, calling me, and giving me things. Today he sent me a designer gown. He asked me to go to this HPG dinner with him next Friday, and I told him I would let him know. Then a designer gown arrived today. Plus, I was having a dinner with a new journalist, who is on my team, he saw us and acted jealous. I don't understand his behavior."

"Rory, Logan is Logan. I told you, according to Finn, he still has feelings for you. Have you spoken to Paris or Steph about this?"

"No, it just happened these last few days and I haven't had time. I wish Mom was here. She and I could talk about it. No offense Jess, but I miss her. I miss talking to her,"" she confessed.

Reaching across the center console he takes hold of her hand and brings it to his lips and kisses it.

"I know Ror, and no offense taken."

"So, what do I do?"

"Listen, I got invited to that shindig too. I didn't plan on going, but why don't you go as my date. Tell him that you're busy, then we will go shopping and I will buy you a knockout dress to wear. We will show up together."

"Jess, since when do you know women's clothing?"

"Since I have been dating Cindy. She's a model I met a few months ago when she came into my store. She is always talking about clothing and designers."

"Won't Cindy be jealous if you go with me instead of her?" Rory asked him liking the idea. This might give Logan a reason to leave her alone.

"No, she is on a shoot next weekend in Cozumel for some swimwear collection so she couldn't go. I know she won't mind. Let's meet on Monday and we can have dinner together."

"Yeah, I would like that," she said.

She sat back and continued to listen to the music that Jess had playing on his car sound system. She felt tired and she closed her eyes. She fell asleep and dreamt of Ace and the last road trip they had to Stars Hollow.

 _It was three months before her mother passed away. Lorelai was doing better. The hysterectomy was a success and they didn't think she would need any more chemotherapy. She was looking better and eating healthier food. She remembered sitting on the porch with her talking about Ace._

 _Her mother said to her, "Hon, you know I always tried to do my best. I know I made mistakes but I am so proud of you. Are you happy Ror?"_

" _I am Mom, I love Ace. He is the first man I have loved."_

" _Are you sure? Are you sure you're not blinded by his sophistication, his good looks, his success? Rory, I want what is best for you. You need someone who is steady, dependable and who adores you. You need someone who will love you forever, someone like your grandfather, someone like Luke."_

" _Mom, are you saying that Ace is not like that?"_

" _No, I am not saying that but sometimes love is blind, I know…"_

Jess swerved to miss a car that was cutting into his lane. This movement made Rory jerk awake.

They arrived in Stars Hollow not long after she woke up. She looked at the familiar town and saw the gazebo, the church and the hustle and bustle of the local townspeople. She hadn't returned to Stars Hollow since her mother's funeral. Ace had asked her many times if she wanted to go back. Emily no longer stayed in Hartford preferring to live in Nantucket away from the memories of Lorelai and Richard. She hadn't sold her home, instead kept it in hopes that one-day Rory would want it. Her father, soon after her mother died, retreated to England, deciding that this was better for Gigi. Using her as his excuse he told everyone that she could spend time with both him and her mother. But he wanted to be far away from the memories of Stars Hollow and Lorelai. Rory was traveling a lot and she and Ace saw her father often, stopping when they were in England. In the last year, she saw him more than when she was a young girl. The three had grown closer in the last year, but since Ace's death, she hadn't spoken to him. However, Luke has been her constant. He wouldn't let her hide. He stood beside her and checked in with her daily and since she wouldn't come to Stars Hollow he would come to see her either in Hartford or in the city.

She felt the car slow down. She turned to Jess, giving him a weak smile, as he parked his car in front of the diner. He grabbed her hand and looked at her, his brown eyes and crooked smile reassuring her that she could do this. He got out of the car and walked around to the other side and opened her door. She hoped she could slip in the diner without notice but along came Miss Patty.

"Rory dear, is that you? Oh honey, it's been such a long time," she said as she pulled her into her arms and gave her a hug.

"Are you going into Luke's? Here let me walk with you. Oh hi Jess. Didn't see you there. My, you are looking good. Isn't he looking good, Rory? So tell me dear, are you two an item now? "she rambled.

Both Jess and Rory laughed as they walked into the diner with Miss Patty.

"Hey everybody, look - Rory is back!"

As she announced this everyone turned and looked at her. Rory felt herself blushing a deep pink and she wanted to turn and run, but there was no place to escape too. Jess grabbed her hand and pulled her to the curtain that separated the upstairs apartment from the diner. He saw his uncle watching with sadness in his eyes, knowing full well what the young woman was feeling. The town's people meant well but sometimes they could be overpowering. Luke nodded to Jess for him to take her upstairs and he would meet them there.

When they were upstairs Luke said, "Listen, everybody, I know you are excited to see Rory but this is the first time she has been back since her mom and her fiancé have passed. So please, give her some space."

Slowly the crowd went back to eating. Luke could hear Taylor and Kirk talking. He shook his head and went upstairs to where the two "kids" were. "Kids," he thought, they were both successful adults, but he still thought of them as his kids. Rory, the innocent little girl with the big blue eyes that melted his heart when she was four years old and his punk nephew.

He pushed open the door, and they were sitting at the table. He noticed immediately that she was not drinking coffee but had a mug of tea in front of her. He walked over to her and she stood up and ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly and both fighting back the tears that were forming in their eyes.

"Hey," putting his finger under her chin and lifting her face to him he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, a little overwhelmed but I'm doing okay," turning to Jess she smiled and said, "with a little help from my friends."

"So, what is this, tea? Has Jess removed all the coffee beans from your home?" he said with a chuckle.

"No, coffee doesn't agree with me anymore," she said looking at him as she sat back down at the table.

Jess gave him a mug of tea and made himself another. The two men joined her at the table.

Looking at her Luke raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you sick?"

"No. Umm, Luke, you're going to be a grandfather," she whispered. Jess grabbed her hand for support not sure what Luke's reaction would be.

Luke turned to Jess and then to Rory and said, "A grandfather, Rory this is amazing… When? Wow! A grandfather!"

Rory and Jess started to laugh. She was relieved that Luke was excited about this news. She had hoped so.

"Well the baby is due at the end of January," she said taking out the picture of her first ultrasound.

Looking at it he says, "Wow, this is your baby."

He went to hand it back to her and she said, "No, Luke, this is for you. But promise me you won't put the picture of the baby on the back of the menus."

The three of them laughed, remembering how proud Luke was with her first story, and he had it printed on the back of all his menus.

"I know this must be hard for you, Rory," he says, "I don't want you to worry. I will always be here for you and your baby.

He stood and walked over to her and he embraced her in his arms. The tears filled their eyes, and they silently cried for Ace and Lorelai. They both knew that they had two angels watching over them and it gave them peace of mind.

The three of them walked back down the stairs to the diner. It had thinned out and Miss Patty and Babette were the only two customers left in there. Rory walked over to the women and gave them each a hug. Sitting down at their table Rory told them the news.

"Sugar, that is wonderful news. Now don't you worry about anything, Aunt Babette and Uncle Maury will be around to help babysit whenever you need it. And Jess, don't you dare teach this baby how to steal my gnomes!" she said.

"Me? What did I do?" Jess replies with a smile.

He joins the ladies and Luke looks over at Rory and says, "The usual?"

Before she answers Jess grabs her hand under the table and says, "Well since we live in the city our tastes have changed. So our new usual will be grilled chicken breast sandwich on a wheat roll with a side salad and two ice tea with lemon."

Miss Patty raises her eyebrows at the two of them, "So tell me Rory, is this the new man in your life? You know you need to get back into the saddle, if you know what I mean."

Rory and Jess almost spit out the tea that they were drinking. Luke yells from behind the counter, "Miss Patty that will be enough of that. Don't you have a class starting now?"

"Oh, my goodness, look at the time. Thanks Luke. Come on Babette, the kiddos will be waiting for me. Now Rory dear, you remember what I said."

Giving her a kiss on the cheek she pinches Jess and heads out the door with Babette following her.

"What was that about?" Rory says looking at both Luke and Jess.

"Well it appears that the two of you will be the news for the next couple of weeks," Luke says with a snort.

"Where are you staying tonight? I could open the house if you want to go there."

"I booked 2 rooms for Jess and me at the Inn. I'm not sure if I could go back into the house tonight," she answered.

Luke understood, he only went over to check on it each day. He left the house just as Lorelai left it the last time she was home. He can't seem to sell it or return to it. He was satisfied staying above the diner for now and since he enlarged it he had plenty of room. Now that Rory is pregnant, he thought, maybe she will return to Stars Hollow and move into the house. For now, he would keep things the way they are.

The sandwiches came out and Jess, Luke, and Rory sat and talked while they ate their dinner. Rory was avoiding the trip to the Dragonfly and hoping that Michel had left for the day. She knew she would see Sookie tomorrow, but right now seeing them both was too difficult. Feeling a vibration coming from her pocket, she realized that her phone was there. Pulling her phone out she smiled. Looking at Jess she said, "I have to take this." He nodded. From the smile on her face, he could tell it was Marty. He nodded as she walked outside to talk to him.

Luke looking at Jess said, "Jess, honestly how is she doing?"

"Honestly, she is doing well. She returned to work and her friends there have been supportive."

"So, you two are good?" Luke asked. He always hoped that the two of them would get together and now with Ace gone maybe this would bring them together.

"We're good Luke, I won't deny my feelings for her, I love her but she's not mine to love that way. As long as we are together in each other's life I will be happy to be Uncle Jess and her best friend."

"Good, good. You're a good man, Jess. I am proud of you."

The two men stood up and gave each other a hug. Rory returned into the diner as the two men were hugging. She still had her phone in her hand and took a picture of them. Jess turned at the moment the flash went off.

"Jeez Gilmore, give me that phone. Delete that!" he yelled as he tried to grab it out of her hand.

"Too late," she giggled.

She pushed the button to save it and told them she sent it to her Instagram page. She ran out of the diner and headed toward the Inn. To avoid her home, she took the detour and found herself at the Muddy River bridge. She stopped there and sat down. Looking out at the river she found her eyes tearing up as memories came rushing back.

The silent waves lapping against the river were mesmerizing to Rory. She looked out, and she thought about her life here in Stars Hollow. How her mother brought her here as an infant so she could raise her far from society. Now as a successful journalist she often attended events and parties that her mother never approved of. One of her closest friends and colleagues is the daughter of a former president of the United States, and her best friend is a trust fund baby.

Will she be able to raise her child alone, but was her mother ever alone? Oh, how she missed her mother.

She thinks about her childhood, the strong independent women that were always around her, Mia the owner of the Inn, her grandmother, Emily Gilmore and her great-grandmother Trixie. Then she thought about the men that were in her mother's life, there was Max her teacher at Chilton, and Jason her grandfather's partner, her grandfather so strong, so confident and proud.

She began to think about the two men that her mother loved and married. Her mother loved her father, her first love. But at age 16 she knew that no man was going to tell her what to do. Lorelai knew that Christopher would never go against his parents. He wasn't strong. Rory always wanted her mother to marry him. When they did finally marry, it didn't last. Her father was a boy who never grew up. Yes, he became her father at 16 but still now at 48 he was still like a young boy never facing responsibilities.

Then there was Luke. How different he was than Christopher. Solid, loyal, dependable, mature and loving. These were the words she uses to describe Luke. Only a few years older than her dad, Luke was always there for her, every graduation, every celebration, he will be a wonderful grandfather to her child. Just as Richard Gilmore was to her. Sitting there she knew she would not deprive her child of seeing Ace's parents either. They would be a part of the child's life, just as important as Luke.

"Mom, I no longer have my Ace…. where can I find my Luke," she said out loud to the river.

At that moment Jess came walking on the bridge. He heard her talking before he saw her.

Sitting beside her he said, "Rory, I don't think you have to look far for your Luke."

She looked up at him as he put his arm around her.

"What do you mean Jess?"

"You won't have to look far for your Luke. He is right there in New York City."

She looks at him and then looks back out at the river.

"I have known you since high school and met all your boyfriends. I watched you when we were at Colin's house. There was someone there that made your face light up like a Christmas tree. No one makes you smile like he did. Not Logan, not me. Not even Ace."

Turning she asks, "What are you saying, Jess?"

"What I am telling you is don't repeat the same mistakes Luke and Lorelai did. They waited, for the other to be ready. Think of the failed relationships they had. Remember when they broke up? How they both hurt? How your mother stayed in her bed and how Luke yelled at everyone. Don't do that. When you realize who that man is, don't wait. Take that chance."

"How will I know?" Rory says back to him.

"Rory, I think you might already know."

Rory sat there and looked out at the water. She closed her eyes and thought about her mother's words that she heard in the dream she had on the way to Stars Hollow. How did Jess know?

"Jess, I'm scared. Isn't it too soon?"

"Ror, you will know when it is time."

She hugs Jess and the two of them stand up and walk towards the Inn.

"Gilmore who did you send that picture too?" he asks.

"Oh, just all of my Instagram followers," she teased. But what he doesn't know is that she saved it to her gallery. Later tonight she will use it as her wallpaper for her phone so she can always look at her "Father and Brother".


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The next morning Rory walked down the stairs of the DragonFly Inn. As she got to the bottom step she turned the corner to the reception desk. For a moment, she expected to see her mother standing there, but instead there was Michel talking on the phone taking a reservation. She walked up to the desk and stood there tapping her fingers on the counter knowing that it would annoy him. He got off the phone ready to say something sarcastic to the guest, but instead let out a squeal.

"Rory. I have missed you so!" He ran around the counter and hugged her. "When did you come in? I did not see the front door open. Sookie, Sookie?" he yelled.

"What, what?" Sookie came running out of the kitchen thinking something else had happened.

"Rory," she giggled. "Look at you, you are glowing? Isn't she glowing Michel?"

"Why didn't you tell me you would be here? Are you staying at the house? Of course, you're staying at your mother's house that is a silly question." Sookie continued rambling.

Rory laughed at her mother's two best friends and hugged them both. Just then Jess came down the stairs.

"Ror, I went to your room to ask you if you were ready for breakfast and then I heard all the commotion down here," he said.

Sookie looked at both Jess and Rory, "You're staying here? Well come on sit, I will make you your favorite breakfast, waffles with chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, and whipped cream." "I will bring you a pot of coffee too."

"No coffee for us Sookie, just a pot of tea and 2 mugs please," he told her.

"What no coffee, a Gilmore Girl always has coffee. What would your mother think if you didn't have coffee?" Sookie said.

"Well, she'll think that I was sick or pregnant," Rory answered.

"What you're pregnant? The two of you? Pregnant?" Sookie responded. She sat down in the chair at their table and looked at both Jess and Rory. Just then Michel walked in and sat at the table too.

He looked at the three of them and said, "What's going on?"

"They're pregnant…" Sookie said.

Jess leaned over to Rory and said, "I think you better explain it's not we but you that is pregnant."

"Yes, Jess is right I am pregnant with Ace's baby," she said.

"Oooh, Ace not you two but Ace your dead fiancé. Oh, you poor dear," Sookie said and got up to hug her.

"Oooh, can I get a hug too," Michel said, "This is wonderful news and the baby will be French like me."

Rory laughed and broke from their embrace. "Yes, I found out a few weeks ago and the baby is due the end of January."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Sookie clapped her hands. Looking at Michel she said, "Our little girl is all grown up, and she will be a mother, I think I am going to cry."

"Don't cry or I will cry," Michel said as tears formed in his eyes as the two friends made a dash into the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Jess said.

'I don't know but I hope they bring tea soon."

Just as she said that a waitress appeared with a pot of hot water, 2 mugs and a chest with a variety of tea bags. She also had a plate of hot fresh scones for them to nibble on while they waited for their order. Before the waitress left, Jess asked if they could each have a bowl of fruit. Rory was excited to see that they had the ginger tea as a selection. She took a bag and put it in her cup and poured the hot water into their mugs.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Jess asked.

"Well, I guess we can walk around town and say hello to everyone, have lunch at Luke's and come back here for dinner. Maybe stop by the house?" she said.

"Ok, we can do that. I better stop by and see TJ and Liz while we are here," he said.

Just then the waitress brought out their breakfast and fruit. Rory looked at the waffles and her stomach did flips. She asked the waitress to take it back and instead bring her a bagel with butter. She ate the fruit and drank the tea and felt better. Jess enjoyed his waffles and as long as Rory didn't look at it she was ok.

Rory and Jess left the Inn right after breakfast and walked the streets of Stars Hollow. As they walked, they reminisced about their time when they were kids there. Stopping in front of Doose's Market they saw Taylor and Kirk arguing in the middle of the town square. Rory stopped at Mrs. Kim's hoping to see Lane and the boys, but she told them that Lane and Zach were on tour that summer and the boys went with them. They stopped at Liz and TJ's but they were still on the Renaissance circuit till Labor Day and Doula went with them. Jess suggested that they go into the bookshop and visit with Andrew before they ended up at Luke's. They walked into the diner and sat at the counter. With a big smile on his face, Luke came out.

"Luke, can we have the keys to the house?" Jess asked.

"Rory, you want to go inside?"

"Yes, Jess said he will go inside with me if it is ok."

"Here Jess, bring the key back when you're done"

"No problem," Jess said as he took the key from his uncle.

Putting his arm around Rory's shoulder he kissed her forehead. Luke knew his nephew well enough to know he was in protective mode.

Rory and Jess walked up to the porch of the Gilmore/Dane's house. Jess took out the key and opened the door. The house looked like a museum. A little dustier than normal, but everything was in its place where Lorelai and Luke had left it. Rory walked into the kitchen. The refrigerator was cleaned and empty. She opened a few cupboards and smiled when she saw two unopened boxes of pop tarts. She pushed her bedroom door open. It looked the same, the Yale posters were still hanging on the wall, and her bed was in the same spot. She walked to the closet and saw her Chilton Uniform pressed and hanging in a garment bag. Rory felt dizzy, so she laid on her bed. That's where Jess found her a few minutes later.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jess asked sitting on the bed beside her.

"Yes, I guess."

Jess took her hand and held it.

"Jess,"

"Yeah,"

"How did I get here? I used to sit in this room wondering what my grownup life would be like. Now here I am…"

"I don't know Ror, but remember you are not alone. You are Lorelai Gilmore. You are strong." She sat up and hugged him.

"Thanks, Dodger," she said to him.

"For what?" he said.

"For being you, for being my best friend."

Hugging her back, "You're welcome, and remember you're my best friend too," he said.

"Now let's lock up, get our things, and check out of the Dragonfly. I think we need to get back to the city. We will drop off the key as we leave town. While we're in the car I will call Cindy, you call Colin, Steph, Finn and we are all going out," he said.

They gathered their things together and checked out of the Dragonfly. She said goodbye to Michel and Sookie promising to come back more often. They stopped by Luke's and he gave them some iced tea for the road. Luke reminded them he will be up to see them at the memorial in two weeks. She hugged and kissed him goodbye. They got into the car and headed back to the city. As soon as he got in the car, Jess called Cindy to find out if she was available to meet them at the Hamilton for drinks around eight. Then Rory called Finn, Colin, Steph, and Brie to tell them to all meet her and Jess at the Hamilton at eight. She hung up from them and her phone rang. It was Paris, she hadn't heard from Rory in a while and she was just checking to see how she was feeling. Rory told her that they were on their way back to the city and to meet them at the Hamilton if they could get a sitter.

Jess and Rory hit very little traffic as they drove back to the city. By five pm she was back in her apartment. It gave her time to unpack, throw clothes in the washer that was by her bedroom and relax before she met everyone at the Hamilton at eight. She picked up her phone and dialed Marty's number. She has never called him, but she thought she would surprise him this time. It rang once, and he answered.

"Hey hi!" he said in a surprised voice.

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you at all."

"Is this a good time to call?" she asked.

"Yes, let me turn down the television, I was just catching up on the news before I grab something to eat. So, are you having a good time in Stars Hollow?"

"Yes, I was glad I went. Luke, Sookie, Michel are all excited about the baby. But we aren't in Stars Hollow anymore. We came back to the city. I went to the house with Jess and I…" she couldn't continue to say anything and cried.

"Hey, Rory don't cry. Was it that bad?" he asked.

"Marty, when will you be back?" she whispered.

"I should be home by late Monday afternoon. My plan is for them to sign everything first thing Monday morning, so I can leave here by ten am at the latest," he told her.

"Good, call me when you get back on Monday," she said

"So, what are you going to do tonight?" he asked.

"I am meeting Steph, Brie, Colin, Finn, Jess and his girlfriend Cindy at the Hamilton tonight. Paris and Doyle might stop by too."

"Have fun and I will talk to you later. Bye," he said.

"Bye," she whispered and hung up.

She sat on her couch and put music on. She looked through her mail and the paper that arrived today. As she was glancing through it she stopped and looked out her window. She got up opened the patio door and walked on her balcony. Looking at the Hudson River she thought about what her mother had said in her dream.

" _Rory, I want what is best for you. You need someone who is steady, dependable and who adores you. You need someone who will love you forever, someone like your grandfather, someone like Luke."_

 _Isn't it too soon? Why does Jess think that the man for her is here in New York City?_

 _Then she thinks about what Jess said to her._

" _What I am telling you is don't repeat the same mistakes Luke and Lorelai did. They waited for the other to be ready. Think of the failed relationships they had. Remember when they broke up? How they both hurt? Don't do that. When you realize who that man is, don't wait. Take that chance"_

She leaves her balcony and heads into her bedroom to take a shower. Colin and Steph would pick her up so that she wouldn't have to go across town alone at night. She had an hour and a half to get ready before she met her friends.

Rory's buzzer at her apartment rang at seven thirty. She hopped out of her room as she was putting on her shoes. She was wearing her black capris' and a flowy white off the shoulder shirt. Without looking through the peephole, she opened the door. In walked Finn. followed by Steph and Colin. He gave her a hug and then holding her shoulders he looked at her.

"Love you look beautiful tonight. I think you should dye your hair red. Then I know that I found the love of my life," he teased.

Rory smiled at his silliness and laughed, "I have drinks set up on the bar."

The three friends walked in and they each sat on a stool at her bar in the kitchen. Rory had sparkling water in an ice bucket for her and Steph and a bottle of Macallan on the counter. She always kept a bottle of Macallan on hand, for her friends, a habit she got into when they were in college. Ace never cared for scotch. He preferred bourbon or Cognac in the evening. They sat down and Rory asked Steph questions about her visit to Dr. Lawson.

"Steph, I am so excited. How far along are you?" she asked.

Colin was holding Steph's hand and before she could answer he replied,

"Six weeks and everything looks good. The baby is the size of a pea right now."

"Wow, that is so exciting. I can't believe I didn't even realize I was pregnant during my sixth week," she confessed.

While the girls sat and talked about how they felt and shared pregnancy symptoms, the guys sat and listened adding comments occasionally.

Finn looked at Rory and Steph and complained, "A year ago we would drink and play 20 questions…. Now look at us. We have become OLD."

Everyone laughed. Colin walked to the door, "Come on Grandpa let's get these ladies to Hamilton's before they turn into pumpkins."

Laughing, they all walked down the hallway to the elevator.

They walked into the Hamilton a little after eight. The place was already getting busy. Rory spotted Brie near the back at a large table. Sitting next to her was Dan. Finn leaned over and asked her what she wanted to drink. She asked for a club soda with lemon and then she and Steph wove their way through the crowded bar to the large table that Brie and Dan were at.

"Hi Brie, Dan so glad you could join us tonight," she said as she leaned in and gave them both a hug. "This is my best friend Steph McCrae and those two handsome men behind her coming with the drinks are Colin and Finn. Steph, Colin, Finn, this is my assistant Brianna and Dan Sheppard, our newscaster who just joined our team."

"Dan, good to see you again," Finn said shaking his hand. "Colin, you remember Dan Sheppard, he is Evee's brother."

"Oh, yes, it's good to see you again, Dan. I didn't know you were living here?"

"Yes, I came back three weeks ago and I am working at Studio 57 with Rory," he said as they all sat down.

They had a large table with about eight chairs. Rory had earlier called Hamilton and made reservation asking for an area for a large group eight or more. Dan sat back down next to Brie. Rory sat across from them, Finn on one side of her and Steph on the other with Colin beside her. When he was at the bar Colin started a tab for the table and he ordered himself and Finn the flight of The Scotsman. When the waitress came over with their drinks, he asked Dan what he was drinking. Again, Dan was drinking a Rob Roy so Colin ordered him a Scotsman and another Penicillin for Brie. The six of them sat talking getting to know each other. Dan looked over at Rory and smiled.

"You look beautiful tonight. Whatever you did on Friday and today has agreed with you, Lois," he said.,

Rory blushed, "Thank you. Let's say I got the rest I needed Clark, and I visited with people that I hadn't seen in a while."

"Did I hear right, Kitten, this guy has given you a new name?" Finn asked.

"Yes, he decided that I was Lois Lane to his Clark Kent," she laughed.

"Ah, another reporter joke," he said with a grin.

They continued talking until Rory heard her name and saw three reporter friends of hers standing at the bar and waving to her. She excused herself and walked over towards the bar. Jenna was there with Natalie and Ann-Marie. They stopped here for a drink to meet with Natalie since she had arrived from the west coast with her family for a visit. Rory gives all three girls a hug and they talk. Rory told Natalie, Jenna and Ann Marie the news about her pregnancy. They were all excited for her.

Jenna pulled her into her arms and said, "Rory, don't worry about anything. I have been through this twice now and I can help you. I even have baby items I no longer need."

"Jenna, Thank you. That means so much to me," she said.

"Rory, I felt so bad that I couldn't make it back for Ace's memorial and I worried that you would hide in your apartment," Natalie told her.

"Thanks, Natalie, I went back to work a few weeks ago. Thank you for the beautiful flower arrangement that you sent."

"So where is that good looking lawyer friend of yours," Jenna asked her.

"Oh, you mean, Marty?".

"Yes, I saw her last weekend with Colin McCrae's partner, Martin Knight," Jenna told the girls.

"Oh, Marty is a close friend from Yale. He is in Baltimore right now," she said to them.

"And Natalie, my friends wouldn't let me stay in my apartment." she smiled and looked at her friends sitting at the table.

As she was talking Jess and Cindy walked in. Jess saw her immediately and went over to her and gave her a kiss.

"So, who is this handsome man," Ann-Marie said after Jess kissed her.

"Jess, this is Natalie and Ann-Marie and you remember Jenna," she said introducing them.

Cindy came up behind Jess and put her arms around his waist.

"Jess Mariano," he said putting his hand out to shake the ladies' hands. "and this is my girlfriend Cindy Hale."

"Very nice to meet all of you, your faces are so familiar that I feel I know you," she said to the three journalists. They smiled back at her.

"Rory do you need a drink? I am going to the bar to get one for myself and Cindy," he said.

"No Jess, but have them put it on our tab, our table is over in the back. You can see Finn talking over there," she told them.

"Great, then we will meet you there?" he said. "Ladies it was nice to meet you."

Jess led Cindy to their table and made the introductions to the people. Jess hadn't met Dan yet. He wondered how he fit in with Rory. Maybe, he was someone he needed to keep an eye on, he wondered.

She said goodbye to her friends and decided that she should go to the ladies' room while she was up. As she was returning to the table, she bumped into a tall man.

"Oh, excuse me, I didn't mean to bump into you," she said.

The man turned around and smiled. He recognized her right away, this was Logan's ex-girlfriend, Rory Gilmore. Logan couldn't stop talking about her. So, when he returned to his hotel room, he Googled her to find out more about her. He found out that she was a journalist on the Obama Campaign Trail. Many of her articles were groundbreaking and nominated for a few awards. She had articles in the Post, Tribune and New Yorker. She was engaged to Ace Gerrard, the famous journalist who recently lost his life in France. He knew that Logan wanted her to join his news team and he can see the information on Google that she could bring something to the team.

"Rory," he said, "Liam Cooper, Logan introduced us at lunch last week."

"Oh, Mr. Cooper, yes I remember now. Again, I am so sorry I bumped into you. I hope I didn't spill your drink," she apologized.

"No, not at all. Are you here alone?" he asked hoping her answer was yes.

"No, I am with my friends, they are sitting over there. Why don't you come and join us if you are here alone?" she answered hoping he wasn't with Logan tonight.

"I would like that. I came in for a drink before returning to my hotel on the recommendation of the concierge," he commented as he followed her back to her table.

Finn moved over so he could still sit beside her and she sat at the end of the table. Liam pulled over another chair and sat beside her.

As Rory was making the introductions, Liam and Dan recognized each other from the other day when they were having lunch and Logan appeared. Dan stood up and reached across the table and shook his hand. When Rory introduced Liam to Jess, Liam recognized the name. This was the new author that HPG wanted to sign on and publish his books. As of today, Jess hadn't responded to the invitation for the big party next week introducing new authors. Liam wondered why Jess Mariano never RSVP to the HPG New Author's Event held next week. New authors wanted HPG to represent them. He wondered since he was Rory's friend, maybe she could convince him to come.

Dan and Rory were the only two at the table that knew of Liam's connection with Logan. Dan was curious that neither Liam nor Rory mentioned Logan. He was aware that Finn and Colin went to Yale with Logan and that is where they met Rory. He wondered what Liam's game was, and he watched the exchange closely.

As the group relaxed, little conversations broke out between them. Liam noticed that the drinks kept coming. Not a big drinker, Liam was nursing his second whiskey. and noticed that the Aussie and the lawyer friend were now on the third flight. He also noticed that Dan had stopped drinking and the author Jess was drinking beer. Watching Rory, he wondered what she was drinking. She was animated while she talked and he could tell she was not drunk compared to her friends.

"So, Miss Gilmore," he said getting her attention, "How did you get in the newspaper business."

"I guess it happened when I was young. I wanted to be the next Christiane Amanpour. You know I met her once, granted I was in my pajamas but she was my hero," she replied.

"You met Christiane Amanpour in your pajamas, was this in a dream?" he replied with a grin on his face.

"No, my mother owned an Inn in Stars Hollow and she was a guest and my mother called me. I was sleeping but my mother insisted I come down to the Inn and meet her. I got her autograph, in fact, I carry it with me wherever I go," she then reached for her purse and pulled out her wallet and sure enough the paper was there all tattered but still where she kept it. She handed it to him.

His eyes sparkled as he smirked at her. "Very impressive, following her path to journalism, has it played out well for you," he said.

"Well I don't know if it played out like I wanted, I found out that being a freelance journalist is not as easy or as glamorous as it sounds. The sacrifices are far too great," she said looking away from his eyes.

"Ah, that is true, so you mentioned your mother. Does she still own this Inn that you met Ms. Amanpour in?" he asked.

Trying to control the tears that were forming in her eyes she replied, "My mom passed away about a year ago."

"Oh, I am so sorry to hear this," he said putting his hand on top of hers and looking into her tear-filled eyes. He thought she had the most beautiful blue eyes. Liam decided he wanted to get to know her better. Dan had been watching this exchange across the table. He noticed that Finn was getting a little drunk and not noticing the exchange between Liam and Rory. He didn't like what he saw. He liked that Marty guy and the way the two of them were acting on Thursday. He was sure she had feelings for him too. He nudged Brie, she was getting a little tipsy and whispered in her ear. She looked over and nodded her head.

Getting up she said, "Rory, I think you owe me. It's my turn to go to the ladies' room fast!"

Remembering how Brie rescued her many times in the bathroom, she got up and put her arm around her friend.

"Come on girl," she said as she escorted her friend to the bathroom.

Brie played along acting a little drunker than she was. When the girls left, Dan got up and sat in Rory's seat wanting to get to know Liam better. Jess noticed the movements of seats and he also got up and brought a chair over so he could also talk to him.

"So, Liam, when I met you the other day, I think I remember Logan introduced you as his partner," Dan stated.

"Yes, I am. I am working with Logan to start our own cable news. I met Logan a few years ago in California," Liam said.

"That's where I know you from. You looked familiar," Dan said, "I was a foreign correspondent for HPG based in California before I left and went to CBS."

"Your name sounded familiar. But when I asked Logan about you, he said nothing."

"I'm not surprised. Logan and I have history," Dan answered.

"So, you work for or with Logan Huntzberger," Jess said looking at him.

"I guess you can say with him we are partners, in fact, I invested in this latest project," said Liam.

"Oh, and why is he starting the cable news company?" Jess and Dan both asked together.

"Well, Logan is leaving his father's company and opening his own branch of HPG which will deal both with social media and television. He has a vision that the news will be viewed instantly on personal devices," he explained.

When Colin and Finn heard Logan's, name being mentioned they too walked over and got involved in the conversation. This is where Rory found everyone when she returned to the table. Rory and Brie sat next to Cindy and Steph.

Cindy looked at Rory and said, "Jess asked me if I could help you find a dress, for the event that I will miss next weekend. He told me you would go with him."

"Would you?"

"I would love to. Here is my number. Maybe we can meet during the week, and I can take you to some of the designers that I am modeling for. They love having their dresses shown at big events like the HPG events and they can loan you a dress."

"Rory, are you sure you want to go to the HPG event?" asked Steph.

"Well I wasn't but Logan asked me, I told him the only way I would go is if Finn and he both escorted me. Then yesterday, before I left, a package came. He sent me a designer dress. I was telling Jess about it and he told me that he received an invitation. Since Cindy couldn't go, he wasn't going. But he thought it would be perfect if I turned down Logan and appear to the event with him."

Steph and Brie started laughing. "I would love to be a fly on the wall when you walk in with Jess," Brie said.

"Well I can do one better," Steph said, "We always get invited to these events because of Colin's affiliation with HPG, I will record it. Hey, wait, Rory, you know Marty will be there."

"Will he?"

"Marty wasn't planning on attending, but I bet he will go now that you're going. I will tell Marty that you are going with Jess since Cindy couldn't attend."

"Well, Cindy, then I will need a dress for Friday evening," Rory said.

Soon both Steph and Rory yawned. It was after midnight and the two pregnant ladies were getting tired. Rory went over to Finn and kissed his cheek.

"Grandpa, it's time to take us home," she said. He turned when he felt her lips on his cheek.

He chuckled and said, "Anything for you, darling."

"Well Colin, old man. It's time to take our dates home. So, gentlemen, it was great talking to you, Liam, Dan. I hope to see you both again." Finn said getting up and putting his arm around Rory's waist.

"Goodnight Liam it was great talking to you," she said as she extended her hand to his.

"It was great getting to know you, Rory. Here is my card. Maybe we can have lunch or drinks sometimes," he said as he handed his card to her.

"Oh thanks," she said as she slipped his card in her purse.

She went over to Jess and hugged and kissed him.

"Thanks for everything," she said to him holding him tight to her.

"Are we still on for Friday night?" he asked her.

"Yes, call me," she said.

"Of course," giving her another peck on the lips goodbye.

She hugged Brie and Dan.

"See you Monday… we go in at three, right?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss Lane three pm," Dan said with a smirk on his lips.

Finn led the tired ladies out of the bar and into their waiting Town Car. He had the driver drop off Steph and Colin first. This gave him time to be alone with Rory.

"Are you ok, Ror?" he asked.

"Yes, Finn I am. Why do you ask?" she replied.

"Well, I got a phone call from Logan yesterday telling me that he asked you to go to the HPG New Author's Event on Friday. But he wanted me to join him and said that you wouldn't go alone with him."

"Yes, that's right. Then he had the nerve to send me a gown for this event," she replied.

"Ok, so you're not going, are you?" he asked.

"Finn, I am not ready to go anywhere with Logan in public. How would it look if I came to this public event on the arms of the Heir of HPG when his parents hate me? And it is too soon after Ace's death."

"I understand and I will escort you if that is what you want," he said.

"Finn, I miss Ace," she said crying.

Finn reached over and pulled her into his arms saying, "I know Kitten, I miss him too. Remember I will always be here for you. You are not alone, Love."

Then he kissed her forehead and she leaned on his shoulder.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The following week Liam was sitting in a booth at the Minetta Tavern waiting for Logan. They agreed to meet at one pm to discuss purchasing space at York Studios in Queens. His appointment finished earlier than expected. He found an apartment at Battery Park. He was impressed with the apartments and what they had to offer for the price. He signed the lease for a two bedroom and would be moving in later tomorrow. When the waiter came over, he ordered Widow Jane Bourbon on the rocks for himself, and a Macallan straight for Logan. He was sipping his drink thinking if he should order an appetizer when Logan came in. Standing up Liam reached out and shook Logan's hand.

Taking a sip of his drink, Logan said, "Thanks Liam, have you ordered yet?"

"I was just thinking about ordering an appetizer when you walked in."

Putting his menu aside he said, "But I am ready to order. I am sure there will be time to talk while our food is getting prepared."

Logan took another sip of his drink. He opened his menu glancing over the choices when the waiter came by.

Liam ordered first, "I'll have the Mesclun salad and the Minetta Burger done medium."

He closed his menu and handed it to the waiter.

"I will have the same," Logan said and handed over his menu too.

The two men sat there sipping their drinks. Liam looked at Logan and asked, "Have you decided on the property in Queens yet?"

"I think it will be perfect and the commute won't be bad. Now I am looking for an apartment," he said.

"What do you mean, I thought you had an apartment in the city?"

"Well, technically it's the HPG apartment. So, my family can come in at any time to use it. Yes, I am staying there now, and it was convenient when I was based in London and needed a place to stay. However, I want my own place."

"Good for you Logan, it's about time you broke away from your father," Liam replied.

"Well as you know it wasn't easy. After Evee and I broke up, I realized that I had been living a lie. I was living for what my father wanted. I was happier when I left and went to California and started my own business."

"Why did you return to HPG?"

"Well, it involves a girl, a rejection, poor decisions and a Dynastic plan. I spiraled out of control and as usual my father rescued me but gave me conditions," Logan said.

This was the most he and Logan ever talked. He wondered if the girl he is referring to is the beautiful Rory. He can't get her off his mind since he ran into her on Saturday evening. He gave her his card and wondered if he would hear from her. He has no idea where she lived, but he remembered Logan saying that she worked for CBS.

"So why now? I met Evee she is a beautiful blond, a California type of girl but if I remember correctly she was from Massachusetts, right?" Liam asked.

Logan looked at him, "Yes she is beautiful but she wasn't Rory." he admitted. This was the first time he admitted out loud why he sabotaged his engagement with her.

"Oh, I see," Liam said, "I saw Rory Saturday evening. She was with friends at the Hamilton."

"She was? She told me that she was going to Stars Hollow," Logan remarked.

"From the conversation, I heard she just came back. She was with an Australian named Finn, the guy she was at lunch with Dan Sheppard, a lawyer and 2 other women oh and the new author and his girlfriend that we are trying to sign."

"Oh, the one time I get called for a family function in Hartford I miss the gang. If I had been here in NY, I would have been with them. The Australian, Finn and the Lawyer Colin are my best friends. We all went to Yale together. In fact, Finn and Colin were with me the day we all met Rory," Logan said as he sipped his scotch.

The waiter arrived with their food and the two men began to eat. Between bites of food, they discussed the property in Queens, Logan's plans and what specific duties that Liam was going to do. Besides being equal partners in this endeavor, Liam brought with him years of experience working with the cable news company as a producer under Ted Turner. The two men split the bill and walked out of the restaurant. Logan gave his ticket to the valet and the two men talked as he brought him his car. They shook hands again and said goodbye and Logan got into his car and drove off.

Liam had the valet get him a cab. The cab brought him back to his suite at the SBE Hudson where he had been staying the last six weeks. As he walked toward the elevator, he heard an Australian talking to someone behind him. He turned and immediately recognized Finn. Finn looked up from his conversation and smiled at Liam in recognition. He finished his conversation with the receptionist and went over to Liam.

"Liam, right?" Finn said.

Liam took his hand and shook it, "Yes Finn, nice to see you again."

"Are you staying here in my hotel?" Finn asked.

"Yes I am, in fact, I will be checking out tomorrow. I just found an apartment and I will be moving."

"Well, that's great. Hey, listen I have a meeting to go to but maybe we can have a drink before you leave," Finn said.

"That will be great," he said and turned and got on the elevator.

Rory had called Cindy that morning and planned on meeting her tomorrow. Tonight, she worked till midnight and had the next day off. She hated working these different times but since Ace's death, she found it was easier to not be in her apartment at night or have the same schedule as she had before. She needed to stay busy. Her sixteen-week doctor's appointment was coming up, and she was excited about going to her appointment next week. She made sure she took that day off. Her morning sickness was not bad if she stayed away from junk food, beef, and coffee. However now she could smell the coffee and not feel sick. Today she stopped at a Starbucks to buy a coffee. She loved the smell of Starbucks. It was her happy place. She walked into the newsroom with the coffee and handed it to Dan. Before she let him take it she removed the lid and took a big sniff. Brie was standing not far away and saw her doing that.

"Gilmore, you are weird," she said walking over to the pair.

"Are you finished sniffing my coffee, Lois?" Dan asked taking it away from her.

"Yes, here enjoy it as I sit and work my fingers to the bone without the caffeine to keep me awake," she said as she wrinkled her nose.

Walking over to her desk she put her phone beside her and started to go through her notes for today. The newsroom was busy today. They just got a report about gunfire in Florida and the politics were heating up. She was busy writing and researching the reports when she smelt something familiar. She turned around and there was Marty carrying a cup of ginger tea and a take-out bag. She knew right away that it was her favorite Mac n Cheese. He put down the bag and cup and she got up and hugged him.

Dan got up and walked over to Marty and shook his hand, "So glad you're back. She is a piece of work. She is now sniffing my coffee. I think I liked it better when she went running into the bathroom when I had food," he teased.

"Thanks, I think," Marty said. "So, you're feeling better?"

"Well I feel better now that you're here," she said. Opening the container of food, she took a bite of the warm Mac n Cheese. A big smile came across her face.

"Oh, this is heavenly. Thank you Marty," she said with her mouth full.

She picked up her food and drink and walked into the break room. Marty followed behind her.

"I'm glad you're back," she told him.

"I just got back I haven't been to my apartment yet. I stopped and picked up some food for you and came right over. Now that I have my name on the approved list I had no trouble coming up," he said with a smirk.

"Well I'm glad you did," she said

"How about I come back around eleven thirty and then when you're ready to leave I can bring you home," he said

She sat down and ate her mac and cheese wondering about her feeling for Marty. The kisses that they had shared were still fresh in her memory. She never felt like that when she had kissed, Finn, Jess, Logan or even Ace. Was Paris right? Should she follow the advice of Finn, Jess, and Paris or should she give herself more time? How will she know if this was something more than her hormonal urges? She talked to Paris about that on Sunday at length when she called.

"Rory, I get it, it's tough losing someone you love. Remember when I lost Ascher? I thought my life was over. Then I met Doyle. Now I saw Logan at Colin's. He still loves you. But don't repeat history. There is someone out there for you." Paris told her.

"Jess said the same thing too, Paris."

"Ok, Gilmore I am going to be blunt. I watched you and Marty at the party. Your smile was bigger whenever he was around. I saw how the two of you touched each other. Spill Gilmore, you have feelings for him."

"Yes, I do like him a lot and when he kissed me I felt something. It was different. But how do I know it's not the hormones talking."

"You don't but, you won't know if there is something there if you don't act on it. I am not saying to hop into bed with him, but let him into your life. Kiss him, follow your heart and stop over thinking things." Paris said.

Maybe tonight they could talk without any distractions. If it feels right maybe, just maybe she will listen to her heart.

The newsroom was busy after Marty had left. She had very little time to talk and spent most of her time following leads and reviewing the information that Brie would give her. Both Brie and Dan made sure she had something to drink and made sure she ate. They were glad her energy level was improving. She looked up at the clock, it was now eleven twenty-five. She walked back to her desk and started clearing it off. She was anxious to spend some time alone with Marty. She had so much to talk to him about. She wanted to follow her heart but the last time she did that she lost Ace. Before she turned off her computer, she pulled up her photo files and clicked it open. She found the folder that said personal and opened it. There she saw the images of her and Ace the last two years they were together. She sat back and watched as the slideshow started. Images of them laughing on their balloon ride, the beach they walked on when they went to Greece. He smiles at her at the breakfast table. Her favorite picture of him was the one she took at sunset in April on the Battery Park Boardwalk. He had stopped, looking out over the Hudson River. The sky was a beautiful shade of red, orange, and pink. He looked so serious and they had been engaged for only two months. She took the picture, and he turned around and laughed.

" _Mon Tesor, what are you doing?" he laughed._

" _Just capturing moments," she replied. She moved over towards him and put her arms around his waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he kissed her on the top of her head._

" _A penny for your thoughts," she whispered._

" _Ah my thoughts, they get more money than that mon ami, but for you, I will share them for just one kiss."_

 _She looked up and their lips touched. He deepened his kiss and pulled her closer._

" _Now I will share with you what I am thinking, let's get married before the summer is over. I have taken the job here at CBS it will start in June. We can sell my apartment and find a bigger one. I want a family Rory, I want a little girl who looks like you. With your beautiful blue eyes and my dark hair. I want a son ruggedly handsome like me. I want a house full of children. I don't want them to be only children like us."_

" _Ace, I want that too. Yes, yes, let's get married here in New York in Central Park in August."_

She was sitting there lost in her thoughts when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She looked up, it was Marty.

"Hey, I hope I'm not intruding," he said to her.

"No, I was just clearing my desk and then decided to look at some pictures," she said.

"Let me turn everything off."

She quickly closed the folder and the icon then turned off her computer.

"It's ok, Rory. I know that you loved him."

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

"I feel so broken now Marty," she told him with tears coming down her eyes.

"You're not broken. Trust me, the pieces of your heart will mend. I will help you mend that heart," he whispered and pulled her close to his chest.

Rory smiled up at him and he took his thumb and wiped the tears from her face.

"Come on let's go," he said taking her hand he led her out of the building. They took the elevator to the parking garage and got into his car.

Turning to look at her he asked, "Where would you like to go tonight?"

She smiled at him saying, "I would like to go to my place."

"Sure," he responded and drove her to Battery Park.

It was a warm evening, and the streets were very busy. She always smiled when she pulled up to her building complex. When Steph showed her this place four years ago, it looked like a small community within the city. At night the lights from the Hudson River Esplanade would illuminate the river. To her, it was especially beautiful in the winter when the snow would sparkle as it falls from the sky. He parked his car in the parking garage in the guest spot. The two of them went to the 24th floor to her apartment. She opened her door and went inside. As they walked inside he followed her into her living room.

"Would you like some water or scotch?" she asked.

"Water is fine," he said.

She walked to her refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water. Sitting beside him on the couch she handed him one.

He took the water from her hand and looked deep into her blue eyes.

"Rory," he whispered still looking into her eyes.

"Yes," she responded and moved toward him.

She reached up and touched his cheek.

He put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her gently towards him. She closed her eyes and like magnets, their lips met gently. She pulled him closer to her and ran her fingers through his hair. Their foreheads touched.

"Marty, what are we doing?"

"Ror, I've been waiting to do this for twelve years."

"Marty," she started to talk, but he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

She responded and deepened her kiss. He had dreamed of kissing her like this since he was a sophomore at Yale. She opened her lips and their tongues began to duel with each other. When the kiss stopped she laid her head against his chest.

She ran her fingers through his hair on the back of his neck, finally, she pulled away and said, "Marty, we need to talk first."

Breaking away from her and putting his forehead to hers he responded, "Ok."

He kept his arm around her and pulled her close to him as they both sat on her couch. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Marty, I have been doing a lot of thinking. I have strong feelings for you and honestly, I feel something for you that I have never felt for anyone else. I had a dream when I was in Stars Hollow. My mother told me that she wants me to follow my heart. But I don't know how to do that when it so broken. I am broken."

Repeating the words, she told him at the studio.

"Rory, it's ok. But I should tell you something. I am in love with you. I have been holding back these words for a long time," he said looking at her.

"You don't have to say anything, I was afraid to tell you when we were in college. I kept on waiting for you to say the words. Instead, I let you slip away. I watched you date Logan. I became angry with you when you didn't recognize that I liked you more than a friend. I wanted to be your boyfriend. Kissing you tonight I knew I had to have you in my life. Rory, I know how much you loved, Ace. I respect that. I know you have a part of your heart that is missing now that he is gone and I cannot replace that part. But I can help mend your heart.".

"Can you really accept me as I am? Marty this isn't going to be easy. I am pregnant. I will always have Ace with me through his child. It isn't fair to ask you to raise another man's child," she stammered.

Wiping the tear from her eyes he spoke, "I know all about you, I want to share everything with you. I should have told you this a long time ago, but now that you are back in my life, I don't want to lose you."

She put her hand on his face and looked him in his eyes, and whispered, "I want you to be in my life. You won't lose me"

She moved in and kissed him passionately, not holding back the desire she had for him. They slowly laid back on the couch. She moved her hands up his back and pulled him closer to her. He began to kiss her face and neck. She sighed, "Don't stop, please,"

He pulled her closer, putting his hands under her shirt he caressed her soft skin.

"Rory, we need to stop," he said slowly as he pulled her up. "I don't want to do anything until you are ready."

Looking at him she nodded.

"Marty, will you sleep next to me and hold me like you did the first night we were together?" she asked him.

"Of course, I hope to do that every night if you let me," he answered.

She turned and walked into her bathroom. He really could use a cold shower and took a long swallow from his bottle. He heard her come out of the bathroom. She looked cute in her Yale T-shirt and sweatpants. He recognized the T-shirt because he had one like it. It bothered him that she still had Logan's shirt. I am going to have to give her one of mine, he thought. Then he realized that she may have Logan's shirt but Logan no longer had her. He can replace that shirt with one of his own.

He then went into her bathroom, she laid out fresh towels for him. She had turned off the lights and just left a light on beside her bed. He slowly removed his jeans and Henley that he had been wearing and climbed in bed next to her wearing his boxers. Immediately she moved in beside him, putting his arm around her she curled into his chest. He leaned over and turned off the light. The two of them laid there quietly for a few minutes. He softly stroked her hair, and she laid her hand on his chest.

"Hey," he whispered, "I forgot to ask you what time do you need to go into the studio tomorrow."

"Why are you whispering?" she giggled.

They both started laughing.

"I don't have to be there tomorrow. I didn't get a chance to tell you what happened while you were away."

He looked down at her and kissed the top of her head. "Tell me," he said.

"Well, Logan asked me to go to the HPG New Author Event on Friday. I told him I wouldn't go unless both he and Finn escorted me. Then he sent me a blue gown to wear. I was so angry. I told Jess about it. Apparently, Jess was also invited, HPG has been after him to publish his new book through them," she explained.

"Oh, I was invited to that event too, but I wasn't going to go."

"Yes, Steph told me, but anyway, Jess decided that he would take me instead since Cindy his girlfriend will be gone for a modeling job in Cozumel, I guess they are going there for a bathing suit shoot. So, I am meeting Cindy tomorrow. She is bringing me to a store where designer loan out clothes for people to wear to events."

"So you are going to this event with Jess, not Logan," he stated.

"Yes."

"And have you told this to Logan, yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet I figured I would do that tomorrow after I got my dress. Then I would return the dress to him telling him that I wasn't going to go."

"You really think that Logan will be ok with this?"

"No, and I am not going to tell him that I am going with Jess."

"Do you mind if I go? I want to see how Logan is going to react seeing you there with Jess. If I remember correctly, he tolerates Jess as much as he tolerates me. That should be entertaining," he chuckled.

She leaned on his chest and looked into his eyes.

"Are you jealous?" she smiled.

"Of Jess? Nope of the other men looking at you there? Maybe." he admitted.

"Mr. Knight, you have nothing to be jealous about," she cooed and kissed him deeply on the lips. He pulled her on top of him and felt himself become aroused again.

"Ror, I think we better go to sleep," he groaned.

Sliding off of him she curled up in his arms and closed her eyes. Soon he could feel and hear her steady breathing. He looked over at his clock and saw it was 2:30 am. Pulling her close he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

The alarm went off at 6:45 am. Quietly getting out of bed and trying not to wake her he slipped into his clothes. He kissed her gently on her lips. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"Go back to sleep," he told her, "I am going to go home, run on the High Line and get ready to go into the office. I will call you later. Pulling her into him for a kiss they clung to each other. "I promise you I will call you when I get back from my run."

"Promise?" she asked.

"I'm not leaving, I promise."

"Um, ok," she sighed and reached for him pulling him in for another kiss before he left. She rolled over and was about to go to sleep when she realized she was going to be sick again. She quickly got up and made it to her bathroom just in time. She rinsed her mouth and looked at the clock. It was 7:05. She was no longer sleepy, so she went out and rummaged through her purse and found a ginger tea bag. She filled her tea kettle and put it on the stove to boil. Carefully pouring water into her mug she put the tea bag in, inhaling the aroma of the tea she curled up on her couch and grabbed the remote. She turned on CBS news to see Charlie, Gayle, and Nora do the morning report. She fell asleep watching the news. She heard her phone ring and sat up. Walking back into the bedroom she answered it.

"Hey, did I wake you?" Marty asked.

"Well, I got sick right after you left and then I made tea and I dozed off watching the morning news. How was your run?" Looking at her phone she noticed it was 7:50.

"It was good, so what time did you say you were meeting Cindy?"

"Not until eleven o'clock."

"Good, we have time for me to take you to breakfast. Do you think you can eat?"

"Yes, I can."

"Good, shower and I will be there in 30 minutes."

"What about your schedule at the office?" she asked.

"The benefits of being the boss, I can set my own schedule and I already texted Colin and told him I will be in later. Bye Princess."

"Bye, and thank you," she said smiling like the sound of that name.

"Bye," he whispered.

After her shower, she walked into her closet and looked over to Ace's side. She felt tears starting to come. She quickly grabbed her blue striped T-shirt dress and slipped it on. She noticed a little bump and put her hand on it. With tears in her eyes, she said a silent prayer to Ace,

"My love, please understand you and I are connected forever. But I can't do this alone. I am not that strong. Please guide me. Tu me manques."

She quickly closed her closet and walked back into the bathroom. She pulled her hair in a ponytail and put on her makeup and lip gloss. She was pulling on her wedge sandals when the buzzer on her apartment door rang. She smiled and opened it. There stood Marty. She steps aside and let him in. She shut the door and went over to him and gave him a kiss. He pulled her close to him and kissed her back. The kiss lingered longer than she expected.

"You look beautiful," he said and gently pulling her into his arms they kissed again.

"That was... amazing," she said quietly as she cuddled further into his arms.

"I could get used to waking up to you in the morning," he said. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

She nodded and grabbed her purse and they left the apartment.

They left the lobby of her apartment and walked down the Waterfront to INATTESO CAFE. The hostess guided them to a table outside. Marty ordered a coffee for himself and Rory ordered an organic Green tea. When the waitress returned with their drinks they were both ready to order. Rory was feeling hungry so she ordered the Nutella crepes and Marty ordered the yogurt parfait and the egg sandwich.

Reaching over the table he took her hand in his and kissed it.

"Do you know how often I dreamed of this day," he said. "Where we could walk to a restaurant and share breakfast after waking up together?"

"Marty, I would like that too," she admitted.

They smiled at each other and looked at each other holding hands.

"So, I have decided that I will attend the event on Friday. I can't wait to see you in a beautiful dress. And just maybe I can hold you in my arms as we dance around the dance floor."

"I will like that," she answered.

"Princess,"

Smiling back, she said, "I like when you call me that."

Pulling her hand to his lips he tenderly kissed each knuckle causing her body to tingle.

"Marty, we need to talk about us."

"Princess, I meant what I said. I want to wake up to you every morning. I know that you aren't ready yet, I understand that. But I let you walk out of my life before without telling you how I felt about you, and this time I am not doing it again. Ror, I want to be in your life."

"Marty, I would like that too, but I need time to adjust to me having this baby before…"

"I am sure we can make this work. Let's not overthink this. Come on let's enjoy breakfast and our time together," he told her leaning over the table kissing her gently on the lips.

Their food came and the two of them enjoyed their breakfast laughing and talking.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

At 10:55 she kissed Marty goodbye in front of **Stylight** by Hilary when Cindy pulled up in a cab. The girls hugged each other Rory introduced her to Marty and the girls walked in. A tall blonde came over and recognized Cindy. Hilary went over and hugged Cindy. The two models had appeared on Project Runway together. They were lucky enough to be paired many times with different designers. The girls were lucky to become close to the designers and thus furthering their careers. Cindy continued to model where Hilary became a stylist and was able to open up this boutique business.

"Hilary, this is Rory Gilmore a producer at CBS and a close friend of Jess," Cindy said as she introduced the two women.

"It's so nice of you to help me out. I really appreciate it." Rory told her.

"Oh no problem at all, the designers enjoy lending out their dresses. It's good for them and hopefully, you will come back and buy some of their clothes." Hilary explained.

"What event are you going to, if you don't mind me asking? This way I can suggest some dresses for you," she asked as she led the girls to the back of the store.

"Well, I am attending the HPG Event this Friday night. I…" she didn't get a chance to finish when Cindy interjected.

"She needs to look drop dead gorgeous at this event. There will be people there she hasn't seen in over 10 years."

Rory and Hilary started to laugh. "Well, that won't be hard to do. I have some dresses back here that I think would look absolutely stunning on you." Hillary led the girls to the private area with a fitting room.

"Now let me take your measurements and then I will bring in some dresses for you to try on," she told her.

Hilary took her measurements and Rory was surprised to see that her breast had gotten bigger and so had her waist. She was still small, but she hadn't weighed herself in 3 weeks. She looked down at her stomach and gently touched it.

After trying on eight dresses by eight different designers, Rory had narrowed it down to three. One dress was a long black column sheath that hugged her curves and had a dramatic train that was turquoise with turquoise straps that went around her neck. This dress was designed by Christian Soriano also had the matching shoes to go with the dress that was in her size. The other two dresses were designed by Elie Saab. The first was Saab's black column dress. It has a figure-skimming silhouette with a skin-baring back that's anchored by draping self-fastening ties, and a floor-pooling hem with a thigh-high slit. This dress looked amazing on her. She looked at herself and wondered what Marty would think when he saw her in it. The second dress came from his haute couture line. This one was sheer and with a high neck jewel-encrusted dress. She felt like an Egyptian goddess in this dress but wasn't sure if she could pull it off. She put the black dress on again.

Walking up behind her Cindy, looked at Rory's reflection in the mirror.

Nodding her head, she said, "This is the dress. You look stunning and if you wear these Francesco Russo Open-toe suede pumps, and carry this Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Box sequined plexiglass clutch and have your hair pulled back with these

Rebecca de RaveneI bead encrusted drop earrings, I promise you that every man will not be able to take their eyes off of you."

She smiled at Cindy and Hilary agreed. Hilary took the dress and noted the few adjustments that the tailor would need to make and placed it in a bag. She even added the accessories for her to wear, shoes, earrings, and bag. Rory made arrangements for them to be brought to her apartment on Thursday evening around 6 pm. She told Hilary that if she wasn't there to accept it to leave it with the Jonathan the doorman at the lobby and he would make sure she received it.

Cindy and Rory hugged goodbye. Cindy was off to see Jess before she left for her photo shoot in Costa Rica. It was 2 pm and Rory decided she needed to return the other dress to Logan. She hailed a taxi and went back to her apartment. She quickly walked to the elevator. It seemed like she waited a long time today. Just when she was ready to ask Jonathan, the doorman if there was something wrong with the elevator it appeared. She hit the button on the 24th floor. She got to her apartment and noticed that around the corner from her there was a lot of commotion. Must be someone either moving in or moving out she thought. She unlocked her door and walked in. She pulled out the box that was under her bed and made sure that it was still folded neatly. She attached the ribbon that was on the outside of the box and dialed Logan's number.

On the second ring, he answered, "Huntzberger here,"

"Hello Logan, I was wondering if I could stop by and talk to you?" Rory asked.

"Yes, of course, when?"

"Well I am available now, where can I meet you do you have an office yet?"

"Well right now I am working out of the apartment. Can you come over now?"

"Ok, I will be over shortly."

She quickly got into the taxi that she had waiting for her and gave her the address. The Huntzbergers had their penthouse on North Moore St. in Tribeca. She paid the taxi and walked into the building. Giving her name to the doorman in the lobby, she was then told which elevator to take to the Huntzberger apartment.

When the elevator arrived, it opened up into the apartment.

"Hello, Logan?" She called as she walked into the apartment. Looking around the apartment it seemed like nothing had changed. She remembered coming here when they were in college.

"Rory? I am in the office come on back," Logan yelled out to her. She quickly walked in into the large office carrying the box. The windows were from floor to ceiling and he was sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. He quickly said goodbye to whoever he was talking to and came over to her and smiled. He went to kiss her, but she turned her face so he could kiss her on the check.

"Hi, it's good to see you," he told her and looked down at the box she was still holding. "I see you have received the delivery. Why are you bringing it back, doesn't it fit?"

She sat down in the chair in front of the desk suddenly feeling faint. Taking a drink from the water bottle she had in her purse she smiled.

"Logan, thank you but I can't take the dress. I decided that I won't be going with you to the event on Friday," she apologized.

"Wait, why not? You would love this event. You would be talking to some of the most brilliant authors around," he told her. "I was even looking forward to seeing you in that dress and escorting the most beautiful women into the Four Seasons on my arm."

"Thank you, Logan, but not this time." she sighed. As she went to stand up, she stumbled and almost fell. Immediately Logan was at her side.

With concern in his voice, he asked, "Rory, are you ok?" The room started to spin, and she fainted. Logan immediately called Steph telling her that Rory fainted and asked her who Rory's doctor was. Steph told her to get her New York Presbyterian Hospital and she would call Rory's doctor. He then called his driver Frank to bring his car to the front of the building. Carefully lifting her Logan carried her into the elevator and met Frank in the lobby. Frank and Logan placed her gently on the back seat and drove her to the hospital where Rory's doctor was. They immediately admitted her and hooked her up to IV. She was slowly waking up when Dr. Lawson arrived.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Lawson Rory's doctor and you are?" she looked at Logan and wondered if this man was her fiancé, but then she thought that Rory had told her that he was dead.

.

"I'm Logan Huntzberger, a close friend of Rory's. Is she going to be ok?" he asked.

"Well I am going to examine her now, so if you want to step out in the ER waiting room, I will have a nurse come and get you when I am done," she told him.

Logan walked out into the waiting room and started pacing the hall. He was rubbing the back of his neck when Stephanie came in.

"Logan, what happened?" Steph inquired.

"I don't know we were talking, and she was sitting down. She went to get out of the chair and stumbled and passed out," he told her. "I've never been so scared in my life. All I could think about is getting her to the hospital right away."

The nurse came out and asked Logan and Steph to come back into the little room that they had Rory in. Rory was alert and sipping on some juice. Dr. Lawson looked at Rory and her friends and told them that Rory didn't have anything to eat this afternoon. Rory's blood sugar had dropped, and that was what caused her to faint. She looked at Rory and sternly said," I will see you next week and no more skipping meals."

"I promise," Rory said meekly and smiled at the Dr.

Steph went over to her and hugged her tight. "Gilmore, you can't do this to me. I was so frightened when Logan called and said he was taking you to the hospital."

"I'm ok and Logan thanks for bringing me here," she said quietly.

Walking over to her he gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "You know I would move the world for you," Just then his phone rang. He excused himself and walked out of the room.

"How long will you be in the hospital?" Steph asked Rory while Logan was out of the room.

"I don't know they said something about wanting to get my levels back to normal and they ordered some food for me to eat. Hey, will you do me a favor and call Jess?" she asked.

"Already did that. He will be here shortly. I wouldn't be surprised if he came running through that curtain any moment." she teased.

Just then Logan reappeared, "Rory, I have to go, I had a call from my dad there's a big meeting that I have to attend, Steph can you make sure she gets home ok?"

"Thanks, Logan, go Steph will stay with me," Rory told him.

He came over kissing her on her forehead he said, "I will check on you later."

He then left the room. Rory gave out a big sigh, she was now more confused.

Steph looked at her and smirked. "Ok, spill what was that sigh for?"

Looking at Steph she told her about her morning. She told her why she was with Logan and how she forgot to eat. She was just telling her about trying on all the different dresses at Stylight by Hilary when Marty came rushing in. He went over to her immediately and hugged her then gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Steph thanks for calling me. I have been so worried. I tried to get here sooner, but the traffic is terrible. Princess, what happened?"

Just then the nurse came in with some food for Rory.

"Miss Gilmore, as soon as you eat all this food, I will take your vitals again. If everything is stable and normal, you can go home," she told Rory.

"Thank you," smiling at the nurse Rory took her tray and opened up the applesauce. Steph began to help her by opening up the plastic fork and spoon. As soon as she lifted the lid off the food, Rory started to gag. It was some kind of beef with gravy. Immediately Marty handed her the bedpan, and she began to heave. Marty held her hair back and rubbed her back. Steph rang the bell and got Rory a wet towel for her face and neck. When the nurse finally arrived, Rory was leaning back into the bed pale and weak. Marty explained to the nurse what had happened and told the nurse that this morning Rory had a case of morning sickness. As far as he knew she only had tea and crepes with Nutella to eat and that was around nine this morning. The nurse left the room to go and speak to her doctor. The doctor ordered some anti-nausea medicine.

Rory was upset because she didn't want to be in the hospital and started to cry.

Marty climbed on the bed with her and held her in his arms. She finally settles down and falls asleep. Steph took her phone out of her purse and walked out to talk to Colin to let him know where he was. As she was making the call Jess came in and saw Marty sitting holding Rory's hand.

"What happened?" he asked him.

"Well, apparently Rory passed out. We had breakfast together this morning at In Attessio Cafe around 8:30 and we ate around nine where she had crepes and Nutella. I dropped her off and I met Cindy at the Boutique." Marty said

Rory opened up her eyes then and looked at Jess.

"Hey Dodger, I forgot to eat, can you imagine that?" she whispered.

He went over to the other side of the bed and moving her hair away he kissed her forehead.

"When I got the call from Steph, Ror, I got scared. Will you be ok?"

Just then Steph walked back in the room. She smiled at Jess. Steph was starting to explain to Jess what had happened when Rory's phone rang. It was Dan checking on Rory. Steph answered her phone explaining to him that she was in the hospital. Immediately he told her that he was coming to the hospital as soon as he picked up Brie

When Brie and Dan walked in and saw her hooked up to an IV and a monitor, they became very concerned.

"Marty, what happened?" Dan asked as he walked over and shook his hand.

"It seems that Rory forgot to eat this morning. She had a bout of morning sickness and only had crepes this morning with me. I dropped her off at ten-fifty for her appointment. Around 3 Steph calls to tell me that Logan brought her to the hospital."

"Logan, what does he have to do with this?" asked Dan.

"Logan called me about two forty-five, telling me that she had fainted and asked for her Dr.'s phone number. He brought her here. He left about fifteen minutes ago," Steph added.

Brie went over and took her hand. Rory's eyes opened when she felt someone holding her hand.

"Rory, did you forget to eat again?" Brie asked with concern in her voice. Just then the doctor returned to the room. Seeing Steph there she asked if everyone would leave except for her.

"What is wrong, Dr. Lawson?" Rory asked with concern in his voice. "Is the baby ok?"

"Yes, I just want to talk to you both and explain the reason why Rory passed out and how she can avoid this from happening again and I asked you to stay so that you don't make the same mistake, Mrs. McCrae," she told both women.

The doctor explained to Steph and Rory how it was common to have dizziness and faint during their pregnancies. As she explained this to them she told them that a major factor would be diet. So, she suggested that because Rory worked at a job that was fast-paced resulting at missed meals, she should stock the office refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, she needed to carry dried fruit and nuts with her. She should remember to eat more protein and not skip her breakfast and to stay hydrated. Dr. Lawson also warned Rory that if she was in a crowd and starts to feel dizzy she should step away and get some fresh air.

She handed her a piece of paper with four tips on coping with dizziness and feeling faint, she included a prescription for some Zofran which is an anti-nausea medication.

"So, Rory, I am going to release you now and tonight I want you to go home and relax. Stop by the pharmacy here and fill the prescription so you can start taking it. You may be the type of woman who is sick during your whole pregnancy. I will see you Tuesday in my office," explained Dr. Lawson.

Steph helped Rory get into her clothes and as she was getting changed, the curtain that separated her bed from others in the ER opened and in walked Paris.

"Steph, I am so glad to see that you're here with Rory, but can you excuse us. I need to talk to Rory."

Rory looked up at Paris in surprised. Steph walked out and went to the lobby and explained to everyone that Rory was being released. She then asked Marty if he could go and pick up Rory's prescription. Jess sat down with Steph and Brie and Dan decided to leave.

"Tell Rory I will be over later to check in on her," he said looking at Jess and Steph.

"Jess, I can take her home, you don't have to stay," Steph said to him grabbing his hand.

"No why don't you go home and maybe I can talk to Marty alone."

Steph leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Jess, Marty is one of the good guys, I think he is even better than Ace."

"I know, and thanks, Steph," Jess said and gave her a hug. Steph stood up and walked out of the ER." Just then Marty returned from the pharmacy.

Looking at Jess he asked, "Where did Steph go?"

"I sent her home. I wanted to talk to you." Marty looked at Jess and raised his eyebrow.

"Marty, I've known Rory since we were kids, you might say that I have loved her for a long time. But Rory is like a sister to me, and I saw her with Logan and Ace. Both of those men loved her and it sounds like Logan still does."

"Yes," Marty responded.

"What I am saying is I know you have feelings for her and I am pretty sure she has them for you but she doesn't know it yet. Just be patient with her."

Marty looked at Jess. He smiled and said, "Thanks."

"Paris, I wasn't expecting you. How did you know that I was here? Did Steph call you?" she questioned.

"No, I was doing my rounds when I saw Dr. Lawson. We were talking when she got the page. So, I finished my rounds and came down to make sure everything is ok. Imagine my surprise when I saw Steph and she told me that Logan was the one that brought you into the ER. Why did he bring you here?"

"I went to see him to …"

Without letting her finish her sentence Paris continued her tirade, "Don't tell me that you let that wealthy hedonistic heir to the multibillion-dollar media conglomerate back into your life."

.

"Paris he's just..."

"I have too much respect for Ace to let Logan be a part of raising his child. And what is this with you and Marty? That man is in love with your Rory. So, don't you dare hurt him! You chose Logan before and it crushed him. Don't do that to him again. He doesn't deserve that," Paris snapped.

Rory looked at her with surprise. She felt like she was a child and Paris was scolding her.

Rory's emotions were at an all-time high, and with tears and anger in her eyes, she fumed, "Paris, Logan and I are not together. I am not sure what my feelings are for Marty. I do have feelings for him, he is amazing but I am not planning to hurt him. I really care for him. We talked this morning and we are going to take it slow. So, save your speeches Paris. I know what I am doing!"

She tore open the curtain and saw Marty standing there with Jess. They both looked at her and smiled. Marty took a step towards her and she went running into his arms. Without thinking she kissed him.

Jess cleared his throat and said, "Well I guess it's decided that you will take her home."

Marty turned to Jess and said, "Yes, and thank you for your advice." The two men shook hands and Jess turned and walked out of the ER.

Rory blushed, and a nurse came over wheeling a chair. Rory was about to protest but at that moment Paris came out and said, "Get in Gilmore, it is hospital policy that you get wheeled out. I will wheel you to your car. Marty why don't you go to valet and drive your car to the ER entrance and we will meet you there."

Before leaving he kissed her forehead and said, "You are coming back to my place. No arguments." She nodded her head and he left.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** _ **It was not my intention to publish another chapter today, but I realized that I was missing part of chapter 29. So, I added it to chapter 30. Chapter 30 is a little longer.**_

Chapter 30

Wheeling her down to the ER entrance, Paris cleared her throat, "Ror, I am sorry I yelled at you. I just don't want to see you get hurt," she said carefully.

It has never been easy for Paris to admit when she is wrong. Paris loves Rory like a sister, and since Lorelai's death they had become closer. She would do anything to protect her.

"Paris, I know, and I want to share something with you. Jess and I went to Stars Hollow last week. On our way there I fell asleep and had a dream about my mom."

Rory's throat became hoarse, wiping the tears from her eyes she continued, "My mother told me that she wants me to find my forever love, my Luke, and to follow my heart. Jess and I talked about this and he told me to look no further, because that man was right there in front of me."

Sighing she continued, "Logan and I are friends. We both hurt each other and we must get past that. I loved Ace with all my heart, but he is no longer here. Marty is showing me that I am not broken. It feels right. I promise I won't hurt him."

Just then Marty pulled up with his car, and opening the passenger door in the front he helped Rory into the car.

Then he hugged Paris and said, "Thank you for caring for her. I promise I will make sure I will always be there for her."

He then walked around the car, getting in, he drove away. Paris watched them leave and looked up to the sky.

"Lorelai and Ace, if you can hear me please watch over her. I have a feeling that she will need your help."

Paris then turned around and walked back into the hospital.

Before returning to his apartment Marty asked, "Rory do you need a change of clothes for tomorrow."

"Oh, thanks Marty, I would like to get some things."

It was a quick ride to her apartment and he pulled up leaving his car out front. Jonathan the doorman told them he would watch their car and they quickly walked over to the elevator. This elevator arrived quickly and they could go to the 24th floor without any stops. Walking to her apartment she put her key in the door and walked in. Marty looked at her refrigerator and cupboards. Shaking his head, he told her to get a pad of paper and to start writing down the items she needed to stock her refrigerator. They quickly came up with a short list of items that they would order online to be delivered tomorrow when she came home from work. He followed her and stood in her bedroom doorway and watched as she pulled out a tote and grabbed some clothes. She opened her closet and saw some of Ace's clothes that she put in there when he had died. She hesitated. She usually wore one of his shirts to sleep in but decided against it. She grabbed her Yale T-shirt that used to belong to Logan and a pair of her Yale sweatpants. She then took out her pink cotton A-Line dress and the matching shoes. She folded them, grabbing a clean pair of panties and bra she placed them in her tote. She turned and looked at the closet that held Ace's clothes. Closing her closet door, she decided that she was going to ask Brie or Steph to help her clean it out. This was a big step for her, but if she was to move on, then she needed to do this. She grabbed a pair of wedge sandals and then went into the bathroom. She always kept a cosmetic bag packed since she had traveled frequently. She checked it to make sure it had everything in it and added it to her tote.

Walking out of the bathroom she stopped, and smiling up at Marty she asked, "Why are you smiling at me?"

"Because I have never seen a woman pack her bag as quickly as you just did."

"Well I am ready, let me grab my phone charger and my laptop and we can leave."

Walking to the nightstand she unplugged her charger and added that to her tote. She then went to the dining room table and picked up her laptop and placed it in her case. He took her bag from her and the two of them left her apartment. She turned and made sure it was locked and they took the elevator down to the main floor.

It took them less than 10 minutes to get to his apartment. He pulled into his garage and they took the elevator. He opened the door and walked in carrying her bag to his bedroom. He had a spacious open concept two-bedroom apartment. He had a dining area, with a sleek gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, stone counters, and custom-designed bamboo cabinetry. She loved the windows and the view he had of the city. She smiled at him and walked over to his leather couch. This was a bachelor apartment she observed. He quickly got on the phone and ordered take out from the closest Chinese restaurant. While they waited for their food to be delivered, he pulled up the East Village Grocery store website and they chose what food she would want to be delivered and the time she wanted it delivered. The Chinese food came and they sat and watched a movie on Netflix while they ate.

She was getting tired and went into his bathroom and started to get ready for bed. She came out wearing her sweatpants and the Yale T-shirt again. He looked at her and shook his head. He then went into his bedroom and pulled out his Yale T-shirt and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked him as he handed his Yale T-Shirt to her.

"I would rather you wear this. Go back into the bathroom and change, please."

She smiled at him and took the shirt and walked into the bathroom. He waited until he thought she had changed and then walked into the bathroom. She was standing in front of the bathroom mirror and looking at herself in his very large T-shirt. Lifting her hair off the back of her neck he began to kiss her. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her and putting his chin on her head he looked at their reflection.

"Did you mean what you said to Paris when you were in the hospital?" he whispered.

Looking at their reflection in the mirror, she took his hands and placed them on her stomach. "Yes," she told him as she turned and put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

His alarm went off at six am. Listening to her breathe softly beside him he gently nudged her. She didn't move, so he kissed her softly on her lips. Opening her eyes, she smiled.

"I like being awakened with your kiss."

"And I like waking you with my kiss." as he continued kissing her face, her lips, and her shoulders. She arched her back and pulled him closer. She could feel his arousal on her thigh.

"Well good morning to you," she giggled.

He pulled her into his arm, she rolled over and put her head on his chest. He had worn pajama pants and his Harvard T-shirt to bed.

"Marty, why did you have me change into your shirt last night?"

Kissing the top of her head he answered, "I know that shirt used to belong to Logan, and I guess I was jealous. So, I decided that I want you to wear my shirt instead of his."

She smiled to herself when she heard him admit that he was jealous of Logan.

Cuddling with her he ran his fingers through her long hair. "What time do you need to go in today?"

"What time is it now? I need to be there by nine. I want to talk to Christopher, my executive producer, to tell him that I am pregnant. I was going to wait until next week after my sixteen-week appointment but after being in the hospital, I think I will tell him today."

"Well, it's seven. What can I make you for breakfast," he said, "I have frozen waffles, muffins, eggs, or I can call and have something delivered."

"What do you usually have in the morning?" she asked.

They got out of the bed and she followed him into the kitchen.

"I usually grab a yogurt then at work I will have a breakfast sandwich. Would you like a Greek yogurt? He asked as he grabbed a carton for himself. At first, she hesitated, but she remembered that Paris told her she needed to have more dairy in her diet.

"Ok, I'll try it."

"I have vanilla, honey flavor, strawberry, raspberry, banana strawberry flavored," he said opening his refrigerator door so she could make a choice.

"Wow, you really have food in your refrigerator."

He started to laugh, "What do you keep in yours, wait don't tell me is it still full of take-out food containers like it was in College?"

"Well yeah, you know I don't cook!" she exclaimed. "And why should I cook when I live in a city that has the best food in the world, plus I'm never home long enough."

"Well, you and I are going to take some cooking classes together," he said.

"Whatever you say but don't expect miracles. Gilmore Girls don't cook. We look for men who can cook for us." she teased.

"I think it would be fun to learn together."

She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"God… I can't resist those eyes," he walked over and kissed her lips, then licked them

She started to giggle.

"You look 'hot' wearing my shirt." He reached for her and pulled her on his lap She started to giggle. He moved his face in and pretended he was going to kiss her. Every time she leans up to kiss him he moved his head so that she missed.

"Marty that's not fair," she whined.

"Ok, Ok," he said and kissed her soundly on the lips. "Now go take a shower or you will be late for work. "

She smiled and walked into her bedroom grabbing her tote she went into the bathroom. She started to feel faint so she stopped and sat on the toilet seat. She put her head between her legs until the dizziness went away. She slowly stood up and adjusted the shower. She quickly washed her hair and her body. Carefully getting out of the shower she dried herself off and put her panties and bra on. Again, she felt dizzy so she sat back on the toilet and put her head between her legs. That's what Marty saw as he walked back into the bedroom to check on her.

He quickly knelt beside her and gently rubbed her back. "Are you ok?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Yes, I started to feel dizzy again." She slowly raised her head. "Ok, I am doing better."

"Sit here." Leaving her in the bathroom he returned with the yogurt she never ate.

"I think you need to have this yogurt." He gave her a spoon and had her eat the yogurt.

"Here eat this and when you come out I am going to have some scrambled eggs on the counter for you. I think you need more than yogurt in the morning."

She began to eat the yogurt he handed her and she slowly felt better.

Wrapping a towel around her hair she came out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, kissing him she leaned into him and whispered, "Thanks. I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into."

Kissing her back he said, "I know what I am getting into and I won't change my mind."

She walked back to the bedroom and began drying her hair with the hairdryer. Pulling it up in a messy bun she then put on her pink A-line dress she brought. She returned to the kitchen. On the table, he had her tea ready and some scrambled eggs with toast. He kissed her then left her eating so that he could take his shower.

While she was eating, she heard her phone go off and looking around for it she remembered she left it in her purse. Finding her purse on the table in his entranceway, she retrieved it. It was Logan.

"Hello," she answered her phone.

"Hey, it's good to hear your voice. Is everything ok with you and the baby?" he asked.

"Yes, I am feeling better. Thank you again for taking me to the hospital. Apparently, it is not uncommon for pregnant women to faint, especially when they forget to eat."

"What a Gilmore Girl forgetting to eat? You would always remind me to feed you when we were dating. I guess I better come over and bring you some lunch today."

"No that's not necessary. I will be leaving shortly for the studio and it is going to be a busy day."

"Well let me take you out to dinner so that I know you are eating."

"Logan thanks but not tonight. I promise I will be eating. And knowing Dan he will make sure that I have food in front of me."

"Yeah, I bet he will!" Logan snorted.

"Logan, thank you again for the offer but I better get going. Talk to you soon?" she asked him.

"Yes, Ror, I will call later and check up on you. Sorry I had to rush out like that yesterday."

"Logan that's ok. Well, I better go my ride will be here shortly. Bye Logan."

Marty walked out into the dining room as she was hanging up her phone.

"Logan?" he asks.

"Yes, well you look very handsome Mr. Knight. Here let me fix your tie for you," she said quickly changing the subject.

Standing in front of him she carefully adjusted his tie that needed no adjusting. She remembered her grandmother doing that to her grandfather. She suddenly realized why. Her grandmother loved to touch her grandfather and used that as an excuse to touch and fuss over him. She was doing the same thing now. She loved touching Marty. Putting her hand to his smooth cheek she leaned up and kissed him.

"Perfect. I hope that there aren't any paralegals or secretaries that are after you," she teased and kissed him firmly on the lips.

Pulling her hips close to him he rubbed his nose against hers and laughed.

"The same goes to that journalist and anchors, you're spoken for now."

The two kissed each other again and Rory walked back into the bathroom to brush out her hair. She pulls it back into a sleek ponytail. Her makeup is on and she grabs her bag and laptop. He calls down for the car and by the time they walk out the lobby door the car is waiting for them. He has the driver drop her off at Studio 57. When they arrive, he walks her into the lobby to the elevator.

"Remember to tell those anchors and journalist that you are spoken for. Okay?" he warned.

"Only if you remind the secretaries, female lawyers and the paralegals that your girlfriend is a journalist and she can dig up dirt on them so they better stay away." she teased.

"Girlfriend? I like the sound of that." He kissed her goodbye. "I will call you later. We will go to your place tonight so that we can be there when the groceries are delivered," he told her.

Turning he walked out of the lobby and into his waiting car. She watched him leave and began to think about the first time she met Marty, lying naked asleep on the floor outside her dorm room. Chance had brought them together that day and now fate has brought him back into her life. Smiling she pressed the elevator button for Chris' office. It's time to talk to Chris and tell him her news.

She walked out of the elevator and down the hall to Chris' office. She usually called him first before appearing at his door, but she was here now so she knocked.

"Come in," he called from the other side of his door. "Rory, I was just going to come down to talk to you. You saved me the trip. I want you to know that I am sending Dan and Brie out on an assignment. They will be leaving shortly for Buffalo, NY. I want them to cover the story about Amazon's job fair all over the country. They will start in Buffalo, NY and then go to Oklahoma City where they will be holding off-site job fairs. I am letting Dan take the lead on this and he is bringing a camera crew so they can do a live feed."

"That's great news. I know that they will do a great job. Chris, can we talk?"

"Sure Rory, are you okay? You're not thinking of leaving me, are you?"

"No, I was going to wait until after next week to tell you this but I ended up in the hospital so I thought I better tell you, um I'm pregnant. I am almost 16 weeks," she revealed.

"Congratulations, this is great news," looking at her he then asked, "It's Ace's isn't it."

"Yes, I didn't realize I was pregnant until five weeks ago. I totally missed all the signs until the morning sickness started. Then yesterday I was so busy that I passed out."

"Well, we can't have you do that. We need to keep you both happy and healthy. Rory, you know I think of you as my daughter, so let me know what I can do. When you get your appointments, schedule let me know and we can adjust your work schedule."

She went over and hugged Chris. "Thank you so much, Chris. I guess I better go downstairs and tell everyone now," she smiled and walked out the door.

When she walked into the newsroom she saw Brie and Dan waiting for her. Brie had a list in her hand and she walked over to her.

"Rory, we are only going to be gone for 6 days. We will be back on Tuesday. Here is a list of snacks that I put in your drawer and in the refrigerator in the breakroom. Keep this water bottle filled and no hospital visits till I get back," Brie told her sternly.

"Aah Brie, what will I do without you."

"You will listen to Marnie, she will be your new assistant until I come back," Brie then hugged her. Whispering, "Make sure Steph takes a video of the event on Friday and sends it to me." Rory laughed hugging her back.

"I will and I will call you Saturday and we can talk all about it," she promised.

Dan walked over to her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "I want no repeat performances. Listen to Marnie, she has all of our numbers and she knows the food choices you like, thanks to Mama Brie over here," he kidded.

"I will and good luck. Which camera crew are you taking with you?" she asked.

"Brie made the arrangements, should I have trusted her?" he asked in fake alarm.

Giggling Rory replied, "Yes she knows what she is doing, I wouldn't be surprised if she came back and they gave her my job." They all exchanged another hug and left.

The day went by very quickly. Marnie was a great assistant and reminded Rory often to eat by placing a piece of fruit beside her or handing her a baggie of nuts that Brie had put together for her. As Rory was sitting there researching a story, Marnie came by with a Chicken salad for her and a tea. She looked up and thanked her. She realized how lucky she was to have friends that watched over her. They were her new family. Walking into the break room, her phone rang.

"Hello, this is Rory Gilmore," she answered out of habit and not looking at the number.

"You scared me yesterday, Book Tease, since when does a Gilmore forget to eat." Jess teased.

"Hi Jess, sorry about that," she answered.

"Well, I'm glad that Stephanie called me and Marty. When I saw Marty there I figured you were in good hands. Was I right?"

Smiling she replied, "Yes, and Jess you were right."

"Of course, I am right, so you are taking my advice?" he teased.

"What advice is that?" she asked him.

"That to take a chance, and look right in front of you. Don't make the same mistakes Luke and Lorelai made," he answered

Jess leaned back in his office chair and smiled. He loved Rory and he was so glad to see that Marty was there to make her happy. He liked Ace and respected him, but like Lorelai and Luke, it took him awhile to warm up to him. There were times that his personality overshadowed hers, and she was in complete awe of him. She would always do what he said and go wherever he wanted.

"Good, good. So, are we ready to surprise Huntzberger on Friday?" he asked with a smirk on his face. "

I heard that the dress that Cindy helped you pick out will even have me stunned."

"Yes, I am, so I will see you around 8:00?"

"Let's make it eight thirty so you can make a grand entrance, Cinderella."

"Oh, and Jess, you promise you will show up. Because you owe me a dance!" she teased.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, Ror. And we did dance remember at Luke and Lorelai's wedding?"

"That doesn't count," she teased back. They both laughed, saying goodbye they hung up their phones.

The afternoon went by quickly and soon Rory realized that she needed to leave so that she would be there when her groceries arrived. Clearing off her desk she grabbed her purse and laptop. Walking over to the other side of the newsroom, she gave her papers to her assistant to pass on to the evening anchor and she left Studio 57. Sitting on the subway she shot off a text to Marty letting him know that she was heading back to her apartment. Feeling better she strolled back to her place looking forward to spending the evening with Marty. Arriving at her apartment she quickly went into her bedroom and changed into her denim shorts and her graphic T-shirt that said, 'Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History.' Her mother had bought that for her the last Christmas they were together and it was her favorite. She changed into her sandals and considered her closet. She had avoided clearing out Ace's items but now she felt that it was time. If she was going to move forward with Marty then she will have to do it soon. Since Brie was away maybe Steph would help her. She walked into the sitting room and picked up her phone. As she started to dial Steps number her apartment door buzzed. Looking through the peephole she saw it was Marty. He must have come from work because he was still in his suit and tie. She smiled as she opened the door.

"Hi, handsome, "giving him a long hard kiss when he came in.

He grabbed her bottom and squeezing it he pulled her close to him. "Mm, I like these shorts,"

"Oh, did someone miss me today?" she teased. Just then her phone buzzed. She gave him a quick kiss and picked up her phone. Marty walked over to her refrigerator and grabbed a water she always kept in there.

"Marty that's Jonathan. He said the delivery is here with my groceries. Should I tell him to send him up or do we go and get them."

Marty took the phone from Rory and sent a text back to Jonathan to check his identification and if he felt that he was safe then he could send him up. Jonathan sent him a message back telling him that the delivery man would be coming up.

Marty took off his jacket and tie and laid it on the back of her dining room chair. He then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. The buzzer of her apartment rang again and she looked out the peephole. She opened it and let the delivery man in. He walked over to her counter and set the box on it. He took out the sheet, he went back outside to his delivery cart and carried the other box in. The three of them went over the order form. Just as Rory went to get her money to tip him, Marty had already down so. She thanked him. Rory and Marty started going through the boxes. He decided to empty the boxes and hand Rory the items so that she could arrange them in her refrigerator and cupboards the way she liked it.

"Hey, would you like me to show you how to make Chicken, Broccoli, and Bowtie pasta tonight?" he asked.

"Do I have the ingredients to make it?" she asked.

"Yes, I made sure that I ordered it for you, figuring that would be an easy dish to teach you how to make."

"Well, aren't you the brave one, Mr. Knight." she laughed.

He pulled her into a kiss and rubbed their noses together. "Yes, I am very brave to even let you stand by the stove."

She playfully hit him on the arm and he grabbed it and pulled her into him.

Sighing deeply after that kiss, he looked at her and said, "Let's put the food away before it spoils and then we can cook dinner and have dessert."

They broke apart and they began to put everything away. He left out some chicken breast, the broccoli, garlic, dried tomatoes, chicken stock and the pasta.

Looking in her cupboards he pulled a heavy braising pan and a large pot to put the pasta in.

"Here you can fill the pot with water and add a little bit of salt. Set it on the back burner and turn it on so it will boil," he told her.

He took out a wooden cutting board that he found under her pans and began to look for a knife.

"Ror, where are your sharp knives?" he asked.

"You mean like steak knives?"

"No, a chef knife?" he stated.

Walking over to him she started looking in her drawers in the kitchen. She pulled out a small paring knife and a few steak knives.

"Umm, this is all I have. Luke didn't trust me and my mother with knives. Once my mother cut her finger and was jumping all over the house. She insisted she needed to go to the hospital for stitches. All they did is put a butterfly bandage on it. After that, he told her that he would take care of the cooking. So, when I moved up here, they handed me the take-out menus and then made sure I had a few knives." she told him.

He started laughing at her story and pulled her into his arms.

"Ok this Saturday we are going to go to Eatly and I will personally make sure we have proper knives to cook with. So, for now, we will make do with the paring knife and the steak knives."

He took out a steak knife and began to cut the chicken into small strips. She started the burner under the pot so it would begin to boil. He took the braising pan out and put it on the front burner. Added the olive oil to it that he had her order, he turned it on and began to cut the garlic up. He slid the chicken and garlic into the pan. Going back to the sink he washed the cutting board. Bringing it back to the counter he showed her how to use the paring knife to cut the broccoli into little flowerets.

Kissing her on the forehead he teased, "Keep your fingers away from the knife, and by the way, do you have bandages here just in case."

"Oh stop!" she giggled and began to cut the broccoli.

He had her stir the chicken and when it was brown he had her add the broccoli and dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper. He then had her add a cup and half of chicken stock. He eliminated the white wine this time then he added the butter. The water was beginning to boil so they added a half a pound of pasta into the water. Feeling very proud of herself she went and took out a bottle of ice tea and sat next to him. He grabbed a beer that he had her order so that he had something to drink when he came over. They were relaxing on the coach when the apartment buzzer went off.

He looked at her and asked, "Are you expecting anyone, Jess maybe?

"No, I spoke to Jess earlier and he didn't mention that he was coming over and he usually calls. Brie and Dan have left to do a story in Buffalo, NY and they won't be back till next week," she told him as she walked to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw it was Logan.

She sighed, "Hi Logan, come on in." She looked at Marty and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I came to check on you to see if you were alright and if you wanted to go and have some dinner," he told her as he walked into the apartment.

Marty immediately got up and walked over to him putting out his hand he said, "Hello Logan. Rory was just making dinner. Would you like to join us?"

Rory's eyes went big and she looked at Marty like he was nuts.

"Ror, since when do you cook? Tell me being engaged to Ace, did he teach you?"

"Well, umm, well I guess you can say I am learning to cook since I am going to be a mom, this little one will need to eat so …" she walked over to the stove and stirred the chicken and broccoli.

"It smells delicious. Sure, I'll stay if you have enough," Logan responded. He wasn't going to leave her alone with Marty.

"Logan would you like a beer?" Marty asked.

"Sure, that would be great."

Marty walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed one of his Fosters he bought and handed it to Logan. Marty didn't offer him a glass since he was drinking his from the bottle.

"Ummm Marty could you come here and help me, please?" Rory asked when she noticed that the pasta was about to boil over.

He quickly grabbed a towel and moved the pan to the sink before she had a mess. He told her to grab a large bowl so he could put the pasta in. She looked around and seeing a bowl on top of her refrigerator that she threw things in she grabbed it. Running into her bedroom she dumped all the contents on her bed and came back out. Meantime both Logan and Marty were opening the cupboards looking for her colander.

"Rory, do you have a colander to strain your pasta in?" Logan asked as he continued to look in all the cupboards.

"You mean that metal bowl with the holes in it?" she asked. "I keep it under my bathroom sink."

They both looked at each other and began to laugh. She started to blush and ran into the bathroom. She took it out from under the sink and dumped it on her bed. When she did this she saw the two boxes from Tiffany's. She sat on her bed and started to cry. Ace must have picked them up before he left on his trip and hid them there. She opened the first box. It was his wedding band. Marty and Logan both walked into the bedroom and saw her looking at the wedding band inside the ring box.

Marty walked over to her and sat beside her. Pulling her into his arms he said, "Hey it's ok. It will be ok."

Logan knelt down in front of her, "Rory, it takes time. It's only been three months give yourself time to grieve," She looked up at them and didn't know what to say or do.

"Logan, Marty, I just want to lay down for a while," she whimpered and crawled up onto her bed.

Marty looked at her and gently taking the ring box from her hand, "It's ok. Logan and I will just clean up the food. I will put the food in containers for you in the refrigerator and we will let ourselves out."

It broke his heart to leave her like this but he knew she needed space. The two men walked out of the room and began to quietly clean up the kitchen. Taking the cooked meal, they filled plastic containers that they found in her cupboard. Logan walked back into her bedroom to check up on her and she was asleep. He said goodbye to Marty and let himself out. Marty picked up his tie and suit coat and started walking out the door when he heard her say his name.

"Marty, don't leave me," she cried out.

He walked back into her bedroom and saw her crying. "Hey Princess, I won't leave you ever," he told her with tears in his eyes.

"Promise?" she said.

"I promise."

"Can we go back to your place? I don't want to stay here anymore," she confessed.

"Alright. Let's get some of your things together and we can come back tomorrow and take care of these items. Okay?"

She slowly got up off her bed and walked into her closet. She found her black floral A-line dress and pink shoes. She gathered more of her lingerie and then found her white Michael Kors linen shorts and her black v neck t-shirt. She looked around her place. She now realized how difficult it was for Luke to go back into the house in Stars Hollow. Before she left she took off her engagement ring and placed it in the box with his wedding band. She smiled weakly at Marty. He grabbed a shopping bag that was left from the delivery and placed some of the containers of food in them. He had parked in the visitor parking in the underground garage and the two of them took the elevator down. He opened the car door and she slid in. They quietly drove back to his apartment.

When Logan left he immediately called Colin and Finn and asked if they could meet him at the Isle of the Skye, a Whiskey bar. Colin was in Hartford so he couldn't get back into the city. Finn told him he could be there in a half an hour. Logan drove to the Isle of the Skye in Williamsburg on Driggs Ave. giving his keys to the valet he walked down the stairs and entered the dark expansive room. Finding a table, he ordered his Macallan neat and waited for Finn to join him.

He sat there for 10 minutes before Finn entered. Seeing him he stopped at the bar and ordered a bottle of Macallan to be sent to the table and sat down.

"Logan, what is the matter, mate. You don't look well at all."

"I just stopped by to check to see how Rory was doing."

"Is she ok, is the baby ok?"

"The baby is ok as far as I know, Marty was there and she was cooking dinner. They asked me to stay. She went looking for the colander to drain the pasta in and she found the wedding rings. Ace must have picked them up before he left and hid them."

"Mate, you're saying she found her wedding rings when she was looking for the colander? I don't follow."

"Finn why is Marty there with her? Do you know what's going on between them?"

Finn wasn't sure how to answer this question. He knew that Logan still had strong feelings for her and he now knew after talking with Rory, she had feelings developing for Marty. The waitress came over with the bottle and asked them if they needed anything else.

Finn looked at Logan and chose his words carefully, "Marty is a good friend to her Logan. Since he and Colin are her lawyers, she is depending on them."

"Why can't she depend on me?"

"Logan, Rory has changed these last few years since her mom died. Losing Ace and finding out she is having his baby is probably the hardest thing she will ever go through. Give her time."

"Finn, I have to be honest with you, when I saw her in Colin and Steph's apartment I knew I made a mistake. I should never have told her all or nothing. How can I win her back?"

"Logan give her space and time. She isn't a person you can shower with fancy baubles like some of the girls you and I have dated. Rory is a class act. What she needs now are friends. "

Logan looked at Finn and took another sip of his drink. He thought about the way Marty was holding her and comforting her. It should have been him holding her in his arms. Not Marty. He threw some bills on the table and stood up to leave.

"Thanks, man, for coming out to talk," he said to Finn. Giving his shoulder a squeeze he left. Finn finished his drink. Since he paid for the bottle he told the waitress to put his name on it and hold it for him the next time he came in. He gave her a $50 bill and walked out of the pub. He looked at his watch and decided to head back to his apartment.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Rory and Steph enter the Capozzi's & Company Salon around 4 pm to get ready for The Author Event held by the Huntzbergers and HPG. It was going to be filled with the big named authors, celebrities, and paparazzi. Usually, Rory is standing in the control room watching these events, but today, thanks to two men who continue to be a part of her life, she will be a part of the Red Carpet.

Her dress had been waiting for her when she returned to her apartment on Thursday with Steph. Marty had spoken to Colin about what had happened the other night, and how she didn't want to stay in her apartment. When Colin told Steph, she called Rory and suggested to her that after work they go back to her apartment and have their own pajama party. Rory agreed, and that evening Rory told Steph about finding the rings. She cried on her shoulder and the two "pregnant" ladies, wallowed with root beer floats, and Oreo cookies. Marty and Colin came and helped bring in boxes so that Steph and Rory could empty Ace's closet. Marty and Colin let the girls go through things and carried out the boxes. When it got to be too much for Rory, Marty came in and took her out into the other room and put a Netflix movie on. Colin then went in and helped Steph put his clothes and personal items in the box. When they were finished the four of them sat and laughed at the Despicable Me Movies and finally around midnight both Colin and Marty said goodnight to the girls.

On Friday afternoon, Steph and Rory walk into the salon and immediately, Rose the receptionist greeted them bringing them back to have their facials. Capozzi and Company was a full-service salon and Rory had been coming to them when Anthony the owner expanded his business from Long Island to the City. Anthony was the only one she trusted with her hair. He and his partner Dave came to Ace's memorial giving her support. While they were having their facials the nail tech came and did their nails. With their nails and facial done, they went over to the chair. Elise was styling Steph's hair today and Anthony was doing Rory's.

"Rory, you look gorgeous, what are you doing? Your hair is shiny. What has been going on?" Anthony said as he brushed out her hair.

"Well, I'm pregnant," she quietly said to him. Looking at her in the mirror he smiled.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

"Yes, I am but I have been sick," she admitted to him.

"Well, you are absolutely glowing today. So how would you like your hair done tonight? You said on the phone that you are going to "HPG's New Author Event" tonight."

"Well I am wearing an Elie Saab dress, it's a black column dress, with an open back. I am wearing Rebecca de Ravenel bead encrusted drop earrings with it, so it was suggested that I wear my hair pulled back," she told him.

"I know exactly the right style for you and I think that we should add some red highlights to your hair today. It will give you a caramel color making it stand out."

She sat back and let him add the color and highlights to her hair. Steph was also having highlights added to her blonde hair. The two girls sat with their coconut water and talked to Anthony and Elise catching up on the latest gossip. When Anthony was finished with her she was amazed at how she looked. Her hair color was a chocolate brown with caramel highlights. He pulled it all back in a soft low bun at the back of her neck.

The girls walked out of the Salon to their waiting car at 6:30. They stopped at a deli to get some soup and a sandwich to share so they could eat it at Rory's place. They made it back to her place by 7:00 and sat to eat their food. After Rory's fainting spell both girls were very careful about stopping and eating. Steph was also feeling sick in the morning and so they both enjoyed their ginger tea together before they got ready.

Both girls were ready when the buzzer went off at her apartment. She looked out and saw Colin and Jess standing there. Steph answered the door and she waited in her bedroom till they came in. The two men came in and she walked out of the room. Jess stood there with his mouth open not saying anything.

"Wow, Rory, Steph, wow!" Colin turned to Jess and said, "We have the best-looking dates tonight. Are you ready to go?" The two couples walked out the door.

There was a long line of limousines and town cars when they got there. Colin and Steph got out first. Jess and Rory stayed in the car and watched them go in.

Looking at her Jess smirked, "Are you ready for the ball Cinderella?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. The driver came around and opened their door. Jess got out of the car first, and holding his hand out she slid out as gracefully as she could. As they approached the red carpet the light bulbs were going off. She leaned into Jess and he guided her into the Four Seasons. The place was packed and they both looked at each other smiling.

He leaned towards her and whispered, "Not bad for two kids from Stars Hollow." She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"This is so much better than that prom you skipped out on, Dodger."

Looking around he spotted Logan looking at them. He was standing beside a tall model who was leaning on him.

"Let the games begin," he said to Rory out of the sides of his mouth.

But Rory never saw him, instead, she saw the only man in the room that meant anything to her and that was Marty. He looked at her with a sexy smile she knew that he approved of her new look. Suddenly Finn appeared looking very handsome in his tux. Taking her hand in his he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"Mr. Mariano, please introduce me to this stunning creature. Love have we met before?"

A game that she and Finn had played since college, she looked him straight in the eyes and teased, "I don't think so kind sir, my name is Cinderella. Are you my Prince Charming?

Jess started to chuckle. He was not used to seeing Rory flirt like this. She sounded just like Lorelai.

"I can be if you want me to be," Finn responded and pulled her into a tight hug and twirled her around. "Come Ella it's time we danced."

HPG had famous musicians providing the music tonight. Jesse Rubin was singing **"If I Only Had a Heart"** when Finn asked her to dance. They danced around the room and Finn sang to her. She smiled and laughed as he twirled her around the dance floor. When the song ended he bowed and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. He walked her over to the bar and ordered her a Cranberry Juice with Tonic water. They began to walk towards Colin and Steph. She looked around for Marty and saw him standing across the room talking to Jess and another author. She looked again, and she realized that he was talking to James Patterson. Wow, she couldn't believe that she was here with all these famous authors. She looked around the room and spotted, Jenny Zhang a new young author that they just booked to appear on the CBS Morning News. Suddenly she felt someone touch her elbow. She turned around and it was Logan.

"Rory, you look gorgeous. You told me that you weren't coming tonight. I wasn't expecting you," he leaned in to kiss her cheek. Finn stood beside her not letting Logan take her away from him.

"No, I said I couldn't go with you. Jess asked me. You remember Jess don't you Logan?" She turned and smiled as Jess walked over to them.

"Yes, Jess, right you are the author of The Subsect that we want to sign. I'm so glad you came tonight. I hear you have a new book you have written."

"Yes, I do, but this is not the time to talk about it. Would you excuse us, I would like to take my date over and meet some author friends of mine?" Putting his arm around Rory's waist he guided her away from Logan and brought her to a group of authors he knew.

She stood and spoke to the little group of authors. Jess kept his arm around her waist and she would lean into him. He kissed her on the forehead and asked her if she was getting tired. She nodded and then he led her to the table where Steph, Colin, and Marty were sitting. He then walked over to the buffet to get them some food. Marty moved over and sat by her. He grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"I have another favorite outfit," he said leaning close to whisper in her ear and delicately he kissed her neck.

"Oh? Another favorite outfit? And pray tell what is the first?" she teased and licked her lips.

"My Yale T-shirt."

"Well Mr. Knight, you are such a charmer." she used her best southern belle voice that she had learned from her mother.

Marty took her hand and pulled her up, "I believe my dear, this dance is mine." as he escorted her to the dance floor.

Jess Rubin was singing one of her favorite songs, " **This is Why I Need You."** They glided around the dance floor. She felt his arms go around her and as he pulled her close to him. They looked into each other's eyes and he sang along with the singer,

" **Cause you make the darkness less dark**

 **You make the edges less sharp**

 **You make the winter feel warmer**

 **And you make my weakness less weak**

 **You make the bottom less deep**

 **You make the waiting feel shorter**

 **You make my crazy feel normal, every time**

 **You are the who, love is the what, and this is the why"**

"If there weren't so many cameras around I would kiss you right now. Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?" he groaned into her ear, as he rubbed the bare skin on her back.

She pulled away and slapped him on the chest, "I think I do. Now let's go sit down." she laughed, and they began to walk back to their table.

As they were walking across the dance floor Liam Cooper and Mitcham Huntzberger approached them.

"Rory Gilmore, is that you? Why you are simply stunning tonight. Do you know Liam Cooper?" Mitchum asked her.

"Yes, we have met," she replied.

Liam held out his hand to Marty and shook it. "Nice to see you again Mr. Knight."

"It's nice to see you too," Marty said keeping his arm possessively around Rory's waist.

"You know Liam, Rory was the editor of the Yale paper. I even gave her a job as an intern. Where are you working now, Rory?"

"Mitchum, you told me that I didn't have what it would take to be a journalist, but I have been working as a freelance journalist since I graduated from Yale. I returned to New York City four years ago where I am an associate producer at CBS at studio 57," she answered using her best society voice.

Marty and Liam both smirked. They were enjoying the look of embarrassment on Mitchum Huntzbergers face. Just then Logan appeared.

"Dad, Liam, Marty so good to see that you could join us this year."

"It's good to be here," he shook Logan's hand.

"Well Rory and I were just catching up, Logan did you know that Rory was living here in New York when you decided to come back?"

"Dad, Rory and I are friends and we have been in contact with each other," he responded to his father.

"Good, good, you know Logan I was wrong about you and Rory. It's too bad it didn't work out for you two," he said then he turned and walked away.

Rory and Logan were speechless, both Marty and Liam looked down at their feet not knowing what to say.

Marty looked at Rory and said, "Would you like to sit down?"

She turned to Liam and Logan and said, "Excuse me." letting Marty escort her back to their table.

Looking at Logan, Liam asked, "What was that all about?"

"I am not quite sure," Logan responded.

"Well, it sounded almost like an apology to me. What's going on Logan? It's obvious you have some unresolved issues with her."

The two men walked over to the bar and Logan ordered another scotch.

Looking over at Rory he took a sip of his drink.

"You know I asked her to attend this event with me tonight. Even bought her a dress. But she returned it and told me that she wouldn't come here with me. Imagine how surprised I was when she showed up with Jess."

"What is her relationship with Jess?" Liam asked.

"I don't know, when they were in high school they dated. Some of our fights were over him," Logan replied. Logan took another sip of his drink.

Rory and Marty returned to their table and sat down. She sat there quietly not saying anything. She started to pick at the appetizers that Jess and placed in front of her. Noticing that Rory was not eating, Jess decided it was time to dance.

"Rory, I think I owe you a dance," Jess told her and held his hand out to her.

The band began to play another one of Jesse Rubin's songs and Jesse Rubin took the stage. Jess and Rory began to dance. The song was called **"Bleecker On 6th."**

As they began to dance around the room, Rory looked up at Jess and smiled.

"What?" Jess said to her as he pulled slightly away and giving her his crooked smile.

"Well you can dance," she told him.

"Of course, I can dance. Why you didn't think I could?"

"Well we only danced a short time at my mother's wedding and it was a fast dance. You're pretty good," she quipped.

He spun her around and Rory giggled.

"Listen to the words to this song, you know, the words of this song remind me of Luke and your mother," he said as he sang along with the song.

" **She's soft and outspoken**

 **But feels like she's broken**

 **And hoping that she will improve**

 **Cause she's been so deceived**

 **That she thinks that she needs to be fixed**

 **She's in love with a man that she met down on Bleecker and 6th**

 **He's more than her neighbor**

 **She likes his behavior**

 **And thinks he can save her for real**

 **And it's not asking much**

 **For a man she can trust**

 **That offers to pay for the meal**

 **And she needs him to call**

 **And she's pounding the wall with her fist**

 **She's in love with a man that she met down on Bleecker and 6th"**

"You really think so, Jess?"

"Yes, in fact when I first heard this song I thought of Lorelai and Luke and that inspired me to write my new book."

"What new book? I thought you were being introduced for the Subscript."

"No, it's for my newest book."

" **At first they were shy**

 **And a little bit quiet**

 **But they stayed awake until dawn**

 **And as the day passed**

 **They both realized at last**

 **They found what they lacked all along**

 **So he takes a deep breath**

 **Puts his hand on her neck**

 **And they kiss**

 **And this isn't a shock**

 **Cause this story does not have a twist**

 **They're in love and they live**

 **In a loft down on Bleecker and 6th**

 **Mhm, Mhm**

 **Mhm, Mhm"**

They continued to dance, and she looked at him. The music continued, and she listened carefully to the words. The song ended, and they stopped dancing. He took her hand and they walked over to the table where their friends were sitting. Just then the waiter came with their dinner and they sat there quietly eating. He leaned over to talk to her a few times, but she just shook her head and began to talk to someone else. Finally, she looked at him.

"Another book, and you didn't share it with me?"

"Ror," Jess didn't get to finish his sentence because Mitchum Huntzberger got on the stage and welcomed everyone to the event.

"Hello, everyone. I want to welcome you to our Annual New Author's event. Tonight, here at HPG we want to welcome the talented and newest authors that are now publishing their books. We hope that they will choose to join us at HPG and be part of our family. Now I would like to introduce you to these authors."

He introduced the new authors that they were interested in signing to their Publishing House. Jess stood up to applause when his name was called.

"Mr. Mariano is a very talented writer. He is now writing his fifth novel which is called Small Town Love Affair. He recently has been published by Simon and Schuster and he owns his own small publishing house in Philadelphia and the bookstore called Dodger's Book and Records. We are hoping that he will join the HPG family soon."

Mitchum continued introducing the different authors giving them a little introduction like he did with Jess. After Mitchum was finished with his introduction, Rory turned to Jess.

"Jess, what is this book about?" she asked.

"Ror, let's go outside and talk?"

She nodded, excused herself and followed him outside.

"Ror, I didn't know how to tell you, it's about Luke and Lorelai and of course us when we were kids."

"Why didn't you tell me, Jess? Why didn't you have me read it?"

"I started it when Lorelai got sick. She asked me to tell her story and to tell her story I had to write about you, Luke, and of course me. That song on **'Bleecker On 6th'** reminded me of them."

"But I don't understand, we tell each other everything, why didn't you share this with me?"

"I wanted to, but then you got engaged, and then Ace died, and now you and Marty."

"Oh Jess," she put her arms around him and hugged him tight, "Will you let me read it?"

Just then Logan walked outside. He saw them in their embrace and he didn't want to intrude so he turned around and walked back inside.

She looked up at Jess. "Dodger," she said gently, "Promise me you won't sign with HPG and you will sign with Simon and Schuster?"

"I promise." and he kissed her gently on the lips."

Standing in the corner was a photographer for the Post and HPG and took a picture of the two of them. They broke apart and walked back into the party.

As they walked in she noticed that a full orchestra was now playing music. It's amazing how HPG held no expense on this event. The next singer on the stage was Josh Groban. She always loved his voice and hoped that one day she could meet him. She asked Jess if he could get her a glass of club soda.

While she stood by the stage listening to Josh Groban, Logan came up behind her.

"Could I have this dance?" he whispered in her ear.

"Of course," she turned, he led her by the hand to the dance floor. They began to dance **to "Broken Vow** " from his album Closer. She looked at him as they danced.

 **Tell me his name I want to know**

 **The way he looks and where you go**

 **I need to see his face, I need to understand**

 **Why you and I came to an end**

 **Tell me again I want to hear**

 **Who broke my faith in all these years**

 **Who lays with you at night while I'm here all alone**

 **Remembering when I was your own**

 **I let you go, I let you fly**

 **Why do I keep on asking why? I let you go**

 **Now that I found a way to keep somehow**

 **More than a broken vow**

They danced around the dance floor not talking, her head was resting on her hand that she had on his shoulder. She listened to the words, tears began to form in her eyes.

 **Tell me the words I never said**

 **Show me the tears you never shed**

 **Give me the touch the one you promised to be mine**

 **Or has it vanished for all time**

 **I let you go, I let you fly**

 **Why do I keep on asking why? I let you go**

 **Now that I found a way to keep somehow**

 **More than a broken vow**

 **I close my eyes and dream of you and I and then I realize**

 **There's more to love than only bitterness and lies**

 **I close my eyes**

 **I'd give away my soul to hold you once again**

 **And never let this promise end**

 **I let you go, I let you fly**

 **Now that I know, I'm asking why? I let you go**

 **Now that I found a way to keep somehow**

 **More than a broken vow**

"Logan did you choose this song for us to dance to?" she asked him when it ended.

"No, I didn't. Come let's go and stand on the patio and talk."

He took her hand and led her outside.

He walked over to the bar and got her a club soda and a scotch for himself. Bringing it over to her he looked into her beautiful blue eyes that were still glistening with tears.

"Rory, are you feeling better now? I was really worried about you when I came over to your apartment. I want you to know that I am here."

Smiling weakly she said, "Thanks, Logan, I really wanted you to taste my cooking. Maybe another time?"

"I would like that. Can I ask you a question?" As they were standing outside on the patio they heard Josh Groban sing his next song. Looking back at him she nodded.

"Marty was at your apartment when I got there, and when I walked outside I saw you and Jess together. Are you in a relationship with either of these men?"

Rory was not ready to confess to Logan about her feelings for Marty, nor was she about to explain her relationship with her best friend.

So, she looked at him, "Why are you asking me that?"

"I just saw you in an embrace with Jess and when I went to your apartment Marty seemed very comfortable there. He seemed to know where items were."

Rory shook her head. Logan was jealous just like Jess said. He still had feelings for her.

"Logan, Marty brought me home from the hospital and realized that I had no food in my cupboards and refrigerator. After my spell at the hospital, he convinced me that I no longer could live on take out alone. The other night he helped me order groceries and when they were delivered, just before you stopped over, he arrived. He was also teaching me how to cook."

Feeling embarrassed now Logan looked at her and said, "Rory, I guess I am trying too hard."

It was getting cool, so they walked back inside. He led her over toward the stage. He was wondering if they danced again he might be able to convince her to let him take her home.

The music had just begun and as he turned to ask her to dance again, his father approached them with Liam and Liza Morgan.

"You two make a very striking couple on the dance floor," Mitchum stated.

Rory and Logan looked at Mitchum. Neither of them responded.

"Rory have you met one of our publicists, Liza Morgan?" Mitchum introduced the two women

"No, I don't believe I have," Rory extended her hand.

"Liza this is Rory Gilmore, better known as Leah Hollow."

Grinning at her Mitchum watched to see her reaction. Rory thought, "So he knows my pen name, but that was easy to find out." She hasn't used that name in years. Knowing Mitchum was looking for her reaction, she didn't react.

"It's very nice to meet you, Liza," she responded.

"Rory Gilmore, are you the producer from CBS that was engaged to Ace Gerrard?" she asked.

"Yes," and touching her left hand she realized she no longer wore his ring.

Liam was watching this exchange and wondered what Mitchum was doing. He made it obvious that he wanted Logan and Rory to get back together, having mentioned it to him many times, but Liam felt that it wasn't what Rory wanted.

"He was a very handsome and charismatic man. He was dating my roommate Cecile Bouchard until last year. In fact, he was having coffee with her when he died in Nice," she revealed.

"Oh, um, will you excuse me? I need to go and get some air," Rory quickly turned and started to head for the door.

"Rory, wait!" Logan said. He began to walk after her.

"Stay here, Logan I'll go and make sure she is ok."

Logan turned at looked at his father in disgust.

"Was it really necessary for you to bring up her dead fiancé's name?" he growled at them.

Glaring at Mitcham and Liza, Liam turned and followed her out the door. He found her heading to the ladies' room. He reached her and touched her arm.

"Hey, I am sorry about that," Liam apologized.

"No, you don't need to apologize, I shouldn't have come here tonight. I was doing Jess a favor. I usually avoid these functions," she admitted.

"Don't let Mitchum get the best of you. Will you dance with me?"

She smiled sweetly at him, "Okay" and he led her back into the room to the dance floor.

They began to dance to " **Si Volvieras A Mis** " as Josh Groban sang. Neither one spoke as he twirled her around the dance floor. She was lost in her own thoughts. She was thinking of this beautiful Spanish song and wondering what the words meant.

Pulling slightly away from her he looked down into her eyes. They were still glistening from her tears.

"Don't let the Huntzbergers get to you. Mitchum enjoys playing mind games and he has played them on his son for years. He is like a shark. He circles his prey and when he finds their weak spot he attacks. So how long were you and Ace engaged?"

"He proposed to me on New Year's Day. We met in May 2014, I don't know what Liza was talking about because we traveled together for all his assignments until this last one."

"Don't listen to her or Mitchum, she may have her facts wrong. She has a reputation to embellish the news," he explained trying to make her relax.

They continued to dance for another two songs. They continued to talk, he asks her about her relationship with the Huntzbergers and she tried to give him the short version of the complex relationship that she and Logan had when they dated.

Logan stood by the bar angry at his father for ruining his evening with Rory. He watched Liam dance with her. She seemed to be relaxed. He looked around the room to see where Marty and Jess were. Both men were standing in different groups talking to people.

As they continued to dance, Rory began to feel tired. Finally sighing she asked Liam, "Do you mind if we go and sit at my table with my friends?"

"No not at all," he responded and placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her back to her table. Marty wasn't there when she returned. She looked around the room and wondered where he was. Then she spotted him in a corner talking to a group of people she didn't know. A beautiful woman had her hand on his shoulder and was leaning very close to him. Seeing this she knew she no longer wanted to be here anymore.

She picked up her purse and turned to Colin, Steph, and Finn, "I think I am going to go home now. I am very tired. Please tell Jess I will call him." Finn immediately stood up, but Rory turned quickly and walk towards the door.

 ***A/N Sometimes music can explain a character's feelings. While I was writing this story, I found certain songs expressed the feelings I wanted to portray for Logan, Rory, Marty, and Jess. This is why you will notice that I have added the words to the songs.**

 **For those who are not familiar with the music, you can find these songs on Google.**

" **This is Why I Need You"**

" **Bleecker On 6th" by Jesse Rubin**

" **Broken Vow" by Josh Grobin**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Liam called her name, "Rory, wait up. Let me at least escort you home."

"Really it isn't necessary, I am sure I can get a taxi outside, it's early I'll be fine."

"No, I insist." Taking her by the elbow he led her out the front door of the hotel. He gave his card to the valet who quickly brought around his black Mercedes convertible. The valet opened the passenger door and she slid in. Liam got into the driver side and slowly pulled out into traffic.

"Where to?" he asked looking at her.

"Oh, if it wasn't so far away I would say home…" she replied.

"Where is home?" he asked.

"Stars Hollow, a small town in Connecticut." she began to cry quietly.

"Well if you want we could drive there. It's early." Looking at his clock on the dashboard he noticed it was only ten thirty."

"If we can find a place to eat, maybe a diner. I am hungry. I haven't had anything to eat since 6, and the doctor told me I need to eat small meals."

"I know exactly where to go, have you been to Ardesia? They make the best breakfast sandwiches there." He quickly punched in the address on his car's GPS and they found themselves outside the restaurant in five minutes. She had been here once before for a party and remembered it as soon as they walked in.

The hostess sat them at a table for two and handed them the menu. Rory quickly ordered the ginger soda hoping that would help keep her stomach settled. Liam ordered a local draft beer from Fire Island.

Looking through the menu Liam asked, "Do you mind if I order for the two of us?"

"That will be fine," she replied.

"Is there anything you can't eat? You said the doctor told you to eat small meals. I was just wondering if you were having dietary problems," he said with concern in his voice.

"Laughing she retorted, "Well I guess you can say I am having dietary problems, I am pregnant. In fact, I go back next week for my 16-week ultrasound appointment and hopefully I will find out the gender of this little nugget."

He looked at her with compassion in his eyes, "So Ace left you with a gift."

"Yes, you can say that, one that we had hoped for in the future, we had not planned it, but fate changed everything. He never knew I was pregnant. I just found out six weeks ago."

"Does Logan know?" he asked.

"Yes, in fact, he took me to the hospital on Wednesday. I fainted at his office when I was returning the dress he bought for me to wear to tonight's event."

"Oh, I never knew he had asked you. So, what is your relationship with Logan? It seems like he cares for you."

", Liam, there is no relationship. I hope that we can be friends again. A long time ago, when we were young he was my friend, lover, and boyfriend. He asked me to marry him the day before I graduated in front of all of Hartford. He was so sure I would say yes. But I told him I couldn't."

"You couldn't, or you wouldn't?"

"At that time, I couldn't, I was protected and taken care of all my life. You see I am not just a Gilmore, I am also a Hayden. My grandfather was Straub Hayden. In fact, I don't think Logan, or his family know my father's last name. I needed to find out if I could live and succeed on my own. With marrying Logan there came a price… a burden... The Huntzberger family. You see the Huntzbergers told me that I wasn't good enough to be married into their family and Mitchum made it a point to tell me that I would never make it as a journalist. He told me that I didn't have what it takes. But Logan never lets me explain why I wanted to wait. Instead, he told me now or never. "

She looked down at the paper napkin she was pulling apart in her hands.

This was the first time she ever told anyone about that proposal and her saying "Not Now", she never explained it to her mother, her grandmother or even her father. She did what Gilmore Girls always do, she ran away.

"Christopher Hayden is your father? I only thought he had one daughter, Gigi."

"Yes, Gigi is my half-sister. My mother and father were young when they had me at sixteen. According to my grandfather Hayden I ruined my father's life."

"So you and your father?"

"We are close now, in fact, my parents married for a while when I was in college. It didn't last and now my mother is gone, and my father is living in England," sadly she looked away.

Marty broke away from the group he was talking to and walked over to the bar looking for Rory. He spotted Logan and he walked over to him, excusing himself he asked Logan if they could talk.

"Logan, where is Rory? The last time I saw her she was dancing with you," he inquired.

"Wait, she isn't with you? She excused herself from me and went out to the ladies' room. I saw her dancing with Liam, but then when I no longer saw them on the dance floor I figured she went over to you. I hope she is okay."

Looking around he spotted Jess talking to a group of publishing house executives. Calmly the two men walked over to Jess. Logan excused themselves and pulled Jess away.

"What's up, Logan?" Jess asked skeptically.

"Where's Rory?" he asked coming right to the point.

"What do you mean where is Rory? I went to get her a drink and the next thing I know she was dancing with you. What did you do, Logan? What did you say to her?" Jess demanded.

"Look, Jess, she must be around here somewhere," Marty spoke looking around the crowded dance floor. He spotted Finn and went over to him.

"Finn, have you seen Rory?" Marty asked.

"Yes, she came to the table and picked up her purse saying she was going home. Jess, she said she would call you tomorrow," Finn replied.

Marty took out his phone and dialed her number. It went right to voicemail. She must be asleep he thought. He quickly typed her a message saying that he was coming over and would be there shortly. It was now almost 12:00 am. Looking at Logan and Jess he gave them a smile and said goodnight and walked out of the Four Seasons.

After and hour Liam and Rory finished their meal. Walking to his car,he asked her where she lived. He was shocked when she gave him the same address as his. He was going to say something but then he was afraid that she would think that he was stalking her. He drove her to the front of the building. He walked around the car and opened the door for her. He decided not to walk her in since he knew the night doorman, Jose. She thanked him for the dinner and ride home then quickly walked in the building to her elevator. Liam waited a few minutes watching her get into the elevator. He pulled away from the curb and drove around to the underground garage and parked his car in his spot. Putting the top up on his convertible and locking it he walked to the elevator and pushed 24.

Rory was already in Marty's Yale T-shirt when she heard the buzzer on her apartment door. She looked out the peephole and smiled when she saw it was Marty. She opened the door and leaned against it.

"Well you don't look like the pizza man," she said with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, I don't have pizza I have something better," he grinned. "I see you are wearing my favorite outfit."

She should be mad at him, she was jealous when she saw that blonde hanging all over him. This was something new for her… she hadn't had that feeling in a while. It never bothered her when the women would flirt with Ace, funny how it bothers her now. She reached for his hand and pulled him in.

"What happened, why did you leave?"

"Huntzbergers… I don't want to talk or think about them," she responded. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. He then leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"I have wanted to do that all night. I want to hold you in my arms and make love to you, here in this apartment. Are you going to be alright with that?" he asked.

She looked up at him feeling her love for him but knew she could not make love to him, not yet. "What if I say I want to have you hold me in your arms, and kiss me but I am not ready for anything more."

Looking at her he smiled, "I can do that."

Lifting her up in his arms he carried her to the couch and kissing her passionately he placed her on his lap. She slowly pulled on the tie of his tuxedo and pushed the jacket from his shoulders.

"I think you are a little overdressed for this evening," her voice was husky with passion. Placing her hands on his face she began kissing his cheeks, his jawline, and his neck. She began to nibble his earlobe as he lifted the t-shirt and placing his hands on her back and gently sliding them down and squeezing her bottom.

"Rory!" he hissed. "We have to stop, ok?"

"Ok," as she cuddled into his chest.

He put his chin on her head, then leaned down and kissed it.

"Rory, you looked so beautiful tonight. You know everyone's eyes were on you."

"I was hoping I could have had more than one dance with you. What happened?"

"Well I saw you leave with Jess, then when you came back you were dancing with Logan. I didn't want to interfere. I went over and talked to some associates of mine."

"Oh, the blond wearing the Versace that had her hands all over you?"

Pulling her away from him he looked at her and smiled.

"Well, Miss Gilmore, is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice?"

"No, no, I don't own you, you are a handsome man, of course, I expect women to be attracted to you, it's just …"

"What Rory, it's just what?"

"Marty, I haven't felt like this in a long time, I..."

He put his forehead on hers and they stayed like this for a while, looking at him again she pulled him in for a kiss.

"Rory, there is no need to get jealous. I only have eyes for you."

Slowly they got up and walked into her bedroom. He went into the bathroom and took off his tux. Like the night before she had only left the light on beside her bed. He climbed in and pulled her close to him, pressing her back to his front and fitting his knees inside the back of her knees, spooning together they both fell fast asleep.

 _ **Rory was in a large room. She heard music playing**_ _ **, Moon River**_ _ **. She was wearing a black sheath dress with a white scarf and her hair was up in the style the Audrey Hepburn wore in the movie**_ _ **, Breakfast at Tiffany's**_ _ **. She stood looking around the crowded room. She saw her grandfather dancing with her grandmother, she saw her mother dancing with her father and Luke sitting at a table with Anna. Why was Luke with Anna? He was supposed to be with her mother. She heard someone call her name. It was Jess.**_

" _ **Rory, there you are, we have to go. The bus is here for California. Come on."**_

" _ **Jess why are we going to California?"**_

" _ **I told you, I got us a house with an Avocado tree, I have a job. I love you!"**_

" _ **No Jess, you aren't supposed to have an Avocado tree."**_

" _ **Ace, come, this is our song," called Logan.**_

 _ **He was standing there, and he grabbed her hand. Jess had her other hand they were both telling her to go in different directions.**_

 _ **Then the large doors opened, and a spotlight was shining on a handsome man. She could not see his face, but his voice was soft and strong. She had heard that voice before and he was singing**_

 _ **I can't count the times**_

 _ **I almost said what's on my mind**_

 _ **But I didn't**_

 _ **Just the other day**_

 _ **I wrote down all the things I'd say**_

 _ **But I couldn't**_

 _ **I just couldn't**_

 _ **Baby, I know that you've been wondering**_

 _ **Mmm, so here goes nothing**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **Baby, I'm crazy bout you**_

 _ **And I would be lying if I said**_

 _ **That I could live this life without you**_

 _ **Even though I don't tell you all the time**_

 _ **You had my heart a long long time ago**_

 _ **In case you didn't know ***_

 _ **She looked down and she was no longer wearing her dress but a Yale T-shirt. Now she was on the Yale Campus with Finn and Colin.**_

 _ **Logan was calling her, "Ace, please, I didn't mean it. I need you. I love you."**_

 _ **She then saw a knight without a face, "No don't listen to him, I am here, Princess"**_

 _ **In the distance she saw a hand reaching for her, she went to grab it and it was gone.**_

 _ **She began to cry…. No, No, No.**_

Rory woke and sat straight up. She looked around the room and saw the man lying beside her in her bed. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Hey, are you ok?"

She began to sob and Marty pulled her into his arms.

Kissing her face he said, "It was a bad dream. Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked at him and began to tell him about the dream.

"I heard your voice, you were wearing a full suit of armor and you were singing to me. Finn, Colin, Logan and Jess were there. Then a hand was reaching for me from the clouds. When I went to grab it, it was gone."

She continued to cry and Marty just held her close to his chest, kissing her on the top of her head and stroking her hair.

"Hey, let's go out to your kitchen and I can make you some tea. I remembered we ordered some herbal tea."

"Ok,"

They slowly walked out. She went and sat on her couch pulling the blanket that she kept there over her shoulders. He came back with two mugs of tea, one for her and himself. She took a sip of her tea and laid down with her head on his lap.

Soon she was asleep in his lap. He laid his head back on the couch thinking about her dream and what it could mean. He remembered what Colin said to him,

'If you truly care for her, let her know but do it carefully. Give her time and space.'

He looked down at the beautiful woman sleeping on his lap. Placing his hand on her stomach he whispered.

"I love you, Rory. I love both of you." Closing his eyes, he fell asleep.

The sun came streaming through her windows and slowly Marty woke up. He was moving his neck back and forth and gazed down at Rory. Her brown hair was sprawled on his lap. She suddenly moved and saw him looking at her. She smiled.

"Good morning," she said.

He rubbed her bare arm smiling.

"Are you cold?"

"Nope, in fact, I feel nice and warm lying her in your lap."

She sat up and leaned in to kiss him.

"I feel terrible you must be sore; did you sleep sitting up all night?"

"No, I am ok." He leaned in and he kissed her slowly at first, but she put her arms around his neck and put her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth to let his tongue enter. They both pulled away out of breath and looked at each other.

"Since I have food in my house, other than pop tarts would you like me to make you some breakfast?" Rory asked him as she untangled herself from his arms. She stood up and pulled his Yale T-shirt down to make sure she was covered. and padded into her kitchen. Marty sat there for a while to make sure that his arousal wasn't noticeable. He walked into her bedroom and put his pants from his tuxedo on. He walked into her bathroom and looked around, he found a new toothbrush in her drawer.

"Hey Ror, do you mind if I use one of your extra toothbrushes?" he asked

Walking into the bathroom she stood leaning against the door, "No go ahead, and if you don't mind, could you help me remove some of Ace's stuff from the bathroom. Steph and I never got that far."

"Listen, let me go home, shower and change. I will come back and bring more boxes. Then we can empty the drawers. But you must promise me that you will eat yogurt now. I don't want you getting sick or fainting on me. All right?" He kissed the tip of her nose and brushed his teeth.

She walked out into the kitchen and took out two yogurts, one for him and one for her. Walking out she handed him a yogurt and a spoon and the two of them sat at her small dinette. Finishing the yogurt, he rinsed the spoon and put it in her dishwasher. He found his shirt from his tux on the floor. It was a little wrinkled, but he put it on. He picked up his tie and slipped it in his pocket and then grabbed his jacket. He turned on his phone and noticed he had a missed call from Colin.

"Ok, I will be back around 9:30. Will that give you enough time to get ready?" he asked.

She looked up at the clock on her microwave. "Yes, plenty of time. Hey, thanks for being my Prince Charming and coming to find me last night."

"I love being your Prince Charming and I promise to slay all the dragons for you."

He pulled her in for another kiss when she opened the door. They stood in her doorway kissing she was still wearing his Yale T-shirt and he was in his wrinkled Tux, neither of them noticing the blond man at the end of the hall that just got off the elevator. Logan watched them.

He turned and got back on the elevator; Leaving the lobby he then got into his car. He pulled away and drove off. He needed to talk to someone. He knew that Colin and Finn would not be up now of the day, so he couldn't call them. Logan remembered that Liam left the event early last night so maybe he could meet him, and they could talk. He punched the numbers on his phone and called Liam. Liam's phone rang about four times before he answered, and he sounded winded.

"Hi Liam, this is Logan did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, I am just jogging. What's up?"

"Just wondering if you want to meet for breakfast, I wanted to talk to you."

"How about we meet at 9:30 you pick the place," he said.

"Let's meet at George's. It's on Greenwich St,"

"Great see you there, Logan." Liam continued his jog on the Waterfront Esplanade. He liked living here. He was looking forward to attending one of the Rooftop Fiestas. That might be a good way to meet some of the other tenants in the building and a safe way to see Rory again, he thought.

She took out a white romper and her lingerie and got into the shower. She went to put it on and noticed that it was tight around her stomach. Realizing that this wouldn't do, she looked quickly through her clothes. She found a pair of white Capri's that she had bought at Chico's recently. It had an elastic waist and was comfortable. She pulled them on. They were a little tight, but she could get away with them if she put on her Black Tunic Tee over it. Fifteen minutes later she was blow drying her hair and adding her makeup.

Today she was feeling better. As she brushed out her hair, she pulled it to the side and put in a loose braid. Looking at her reflection she must tell Anthony how happy she is with the color. She had needed a new look, and she was glad that he convinced her to do it.

She walked by Ace's closet and opened the door, expecting to see his shirts still hanging. Instead, she saw the boxes piled in there of Ace's belongings. She looked up on the shelf and noticed a black notebook. She reached up and grabbed it and placed it on top of one of the boxes. She wondered what it was, she had never seen it before, as she closed his closet door. She left her bedroom and walked to the front table. She found her purse she took last night. Digging through it she pulled out her phone and noticed it was off. She remembered, she was angry last night after talking to the Huntzbergers, and she shut it off. She turned it on and notice at least 15 messages on her phone. As she scrolled through them, her phone buzzed with a new message. It was Marty. He was downstairs in the lobby. She put her phone in the bag she was carrying today, making sure she had her wallet, money, keys and portable phone charger, she left her apartment. The elevator door shut just as Liam walked out and locked his apartment door. He looked at his watch debating if he had time to take the stairs, but the elevator soon arrived. Outside Rory got into Marty's car and they drove off.

"I was thinking we could go to George's Restaurant then we could head back over to your place and finish packing," Marty told her as he was driving to the restaurant.

"That's sound's great. This morning I feel like eating," she replied, "I also think I need to call Jess. He sent me 5 messages last night. Do you mind if I call now?"

He pulled into a parking spot beside the restaurant and got out of the car, "I'll go put our name in for a table and you can make the call." He leaned over and kissed her on her cheek. He left the car, and she took out the phone and called Jess. The phone rang and went to his voicemail, so she left him a message and got out of the car and headed into the restaurant. She was looking for Marty when she heard a familiar voice, she turned around it was Liam.

"Rory, are you feeling better this morning?" he asked.

Rory smiled, "Liam, this is a nice surprise, Yes I am feeling much better and thanks for bringing me home last night. I appreciate it." she said hugging him.

Marty, wondering what was taking her so long, walked toward the entrance just as Logan was walking in. Both men stopped and saw Rory and Liam talking and then they saw Rory hug him. Marty looked at Logan shocked not expecting this interaction. Both men approached the two people at the same time. Rory turned and smiled when she saw Marty and walked back over and stood beside him. Turning back to ask Liam to join them she saw Logan.

"Marty look who just walked in, can we get a table for 4, would you like to join us?" she asked the two men.

Logan looked at Marty then Liam deciding that he wanted to find out what was going on between Marty, Rory, and Liam.

He replied, "That would be great. We didn't get to spend much time together last night to talk." He gave Rory his smile that used to make her melt.

Marty turned back to the hostess and asked if they could make the table for two a table for four. A table for four was available and they followed the hostess to the back of the restaurant. Marty held the seat for Rory and he sat beside her. Logan and Liam sat across from them. The waitress took their drink orders and left.

With a smirk, Logan said, "I still can't get used to you not drinking coffee, Ror. Liam, I met both Marty and Rory standing at the coffee cart at Yale." Looking directly into her eyes he added, "I remember it like it was yesterday, you and Marty had just ordered your coffee and Colin came over and pushed into Marty on purpose. You told us off."

"Yes, I remember," she replied and took Marty's hand in hers.

"Did Colin ever tell you why he did that?" Logan said locking his eyes with hers.

"No, he didn't. I assumed it was Colin being his pretentious self."

"He liked you, he wanted to ask you on a date. Now here we are 12 years later, Marty and Colin are close friends and successful law partners. Who would have thought that chance meeting would have built friendships that would last this long?"

Rory smiled at the three men, "I guess it was our destiny."

The waitress came back to take their order. Rory was eating light today and just ordered two eggs scrambled with toast and the men ordered omelets.

Logan then looked at Marty and smiled, "I was surprised to see you at the event last night. Dad told me that you rarely attend."

"I don't, but Jess asked me to come and represent him if he signs with you and I told him that I would come as a sign of support," Marty answered.

"Jess Mariano, you three seem to know him well," Liam inquired.

"Jess and Rory have known each other since, High School. Didn't you two dates?" Logan taunted.

"Logan, you know we did, in fact when we were dating, you were jealous of our friendship. That amongst other things caused some of our disagreements."

Rory looked at him directly into his chocolate brown eyes. She thought two can play this game.

Rory picked up her cup of tea and turned to Liam and asked, "Liam the last time we spoke you were looking for an apartment. Have you found one yet?"

"Well I have," just then the waitress came with their food and set them in front of each of them. He began to eat and didn't finish his sentence.

The four of them sat eating when Logan asked, "So Marty what brings you over to Rory's today?"

He saw him leave, so he knows that he left and returned. He looked relaxed in his Polo shirt and his Stone Island jeans. Marty was no longer a Levi and t-shirt man, he had style and money. He noticed that last night Marty was very comfortable mingling with Colin's friends and the other guest that was at the event last night.

"Marty is coming over to help me pack some boxes. Then he promised to take me shopping," Rory answered squeezing Marty's thigh under the table. Marty put his hand on hers and squeezed it back.

"You know, Ror, we better get going if we want to beat the traffic."

Marty waved to the waitress for the check. Picking it up he paid for everyone's breakfast. He put out his hand and shaking theirs he said, "Nice seeing you again Liam, Logan."

Marty stood and pulled out Rory's chair Marty put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side as they walked out. He opened the door for her and they left.

*A/N "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brett Young


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N I am sorry that you had to wait for so long for this chapter. I have been away on a vacation and just returned early yesterday morning. You will have more than one chapter to read, I promise. Here is the next chapter. I hope that you continue to enjoy it and I enjoy your feedback and comments.**_

 **Chapter 33**

"Logan, what's going on?" Liam asked.

Standing in the hallway this morning Logan had watched Rory kiss Marty goodbye as he left her apartment. He was not sure what was going on. That should have been him kissing her and leaving her apartment. He saw her kiss Jess last night. He should be the one kissing her, comforting her. He never felt this jealous before in his life. He looked up suddenly when Liam spoke.

"What do you mean," he retorted.

"You were quizzing her about Jess and why she was with Marty. Last night your father made those comments about what a good-looking couple you two make. I thought you told me that he never wanted you two to be together. Then he brought Liza over to meet her and talk about her dead fiancé," he replied.

"I don't know what my father was trying to prove last night. I want to know why you brought Rory home."

"I brought her home when she wanted to leave after your father brought Liza over and talked about her dead fiancé. Logan, I don't understand you. You claim that you have feelings for her, but you stood there while your father and that tart embarrassed her. What was your father trying to prove and why didn't you stand up for her?"

Logan rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "I don't know what my father was doing. He was against Rory and me when we were in college. Now he is encouraging me to be with her. Rory has changed..."

"A tragedy will do that to a person Logan. She has gone through a lot and she needs friends. She's vulnerable now, and she has Ace's child to protect."

Logan looked up at Liam, "So you two have become friends?"

"Well more like acquaintances than friends. But I have been in her company a few times now and she's lonely, scared," he added.

"So, what do you think is going on with her and Marty?" Logan asked his friend.

"I think Marty is in love with her. Who wouldn't be, she is a unique woman a mixture of innocence, honesty, and sophistication. I understand how Ace fell in love with her now since I have met her."

"Marty has been in love with her since their Freshman year at Yale, and I have been in love with her since the day I saw her at the coffee cart my junior year," Logan confessed.

Liam looked at Logan and felt sad for his friend. He knew what it was like to be in love with someone who didn't return it.

"You wanted to talk this morning, what did you want to discuss?"

The two men signaled for more coffee and they talked more about the studio than what was really on Logan's mind.

Outside the restaurant, Rory and Marty walked to his car in the parking lot.

"So, I'm taking you shopping?" he smiled at her as he opened the car door and she slid in.

"Well, Logan was making me mad, making those comments about Jess and college. He was asking questions about us, so I had to think fast. I needed to go shopping so I figured it would be fun to go together," she smirked thinking this way she could spend more time with him.

"So where do you want to go shopping?"

"I need maternity clothes and Tribeca has the best maternity shops in the city."

"Am I taking you clothes shopping?" Marty started to laugh.

"Well, I do need the help of a strong man to carry all my bags." as she said this she looked at him and gave him her best Lorelai Gilmore Bambi eye look.

"Oh, I can't resist those eyes," he grabbed her across the seat and kissed her.

She startled to giggle and now understand how her mother got Luke to do things for her.

"I learned from the master!" She said.

"The Master? Who pray tell is the master?"

"My mom, of course, you would have loved her Marty. I know you only met her once. She was fun, wise and could get Luke to do anything for her."

"She taught her daughter well, because you are beautiful, fun, smart and wise."

She smiled at him and then she directed him to the addresses she had bookmarked on her phone.

The first place Rory had him go to was on West 34th Street. He found a place to park and they got out of the car and walked in. It had been a long time since Marty had been shopping with either his sister or his mother. Usually, he, his father, and his brother would stay home. His father would hand his mother an extra credit card, so she could buy what they needed and kiss her and his sister goodbye. Then the three men would watch either baseball, football or basketball on TV without interruptions.

He had never been in a maternity store and was amazed at all the different styles and selections. He spotted some chairs over in the corner and he went to sit down. Rory smiled at him and thought about shopping with Logan. If Logan were here he would be going through the clothes picking out the sexiest outfits. She walked over to the racks and began to look through the choices. She knew she needed a few outfits for work. She needed pants that she could wear to work or casual and some loose tops. Rory found some leggings and black pants and a few tops and a pretty black and pink dress and went into the fitting room to try on the clothing.

While she was in the changing room a very attractive blond came over and started to talk to Marty. She asked him if his wife needed help in choosing some options. At first, Marty was going to correct her but decided not to. He said yes, and she led Marty over to the special occasion sections.

"Your wife looks familiar. I think I saw a picture of the two of you dancing on page 6 this morning," she told him.

"Picture of us? Do you happen to have a copy of it?"

"Sure, right over here."

The sales clerk walked over to the counter and pulled it out. She opened to the page that had the pictures of the event. There was a picture of him and Colin together on the red carpet. A picture of Logan standing with his father. A picture of Liam alone. There was a picture of Rory and Jess with the captain hottest new author arrives with CBS assistant producer. Then there was the picture of Marty and Rory dancing together.

"You can keep the paper, I am through reading it. Your wife is really beautiful," she said.

"Thank you," he smiled and took the paper.

He began to look through the clothing. The sales clerk directed him to the swimwear and he found a navy bikini top and bottom that he thought would really look sexy on her. So, he told the sales clerk to put it on the counter. He also found a top that said Allergic to mornings and remembered how hard it is to get Rory up. He also handed that to the sales clerk. Rory came out and smiled at him carrying the clothes. The sales clerk took her items and laid them on the counter with the other items that Marty had picked out. She then found a cute tunic top that was pale pink. Mary had already handed the sales clerk his black American Express card.

Rory went to the counter and pulled out her checkbook. Handing her the shopping bags, the sales clerk said, "Your husband has already taken care of the bill."

Rory turned and looked at Marty. He kissed her soundly on the lips before she could make any comment.

"Come on beautiful, didn't you say you had other stores you wanted to shop at today?"

Taking the packages from her he put his arm around her waist and guided her out of the store.

"My husband? Marty that women thought you were my husband?"

"Well, would that be so bad?" he asked her.

"Well, no," she looked at him in surprise. "Marty, I thought we agreed to go slow?"

"We did, and we are, but the world thinks something different."

He then handed her the paper that he had folded to page six. Immediately she saw the picture of the two of them dancing. They were close to each other and it was during the time he was singing to her, before he told her he wanted to kiss her. She remembered the flashing lights but paid no attention to them. All she saw was him. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Come on, let's buy you some more clothes before we go back to your apartment," he told her.

The two of them put their packages in his car. He drove his car back to his apartment since it was closer and left the packages there. He then asked the doorman to get them a taxi. They took the taxi to West Broadway to Seraphine and they walked in.

"Ror, I have a couple of events that I would like to take you to. Would you mind if I picked out some dresses for you to try on?"

She looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "Ok, I guess. You know Marty you don't have to do this."

"I want to. Nothing would make me happier," he replied as he walked over to her putting his hands on her shoulder he kissed her.

They walked over and began to look at the dresses. Immediately he found a midnight blue dress with a cut out back that was on a mannequin. He asked the sales clerk if they had one in Rory's size. The sales clerk returned and led Rory to a changing room where she changed into the dress. She walked out with it on and he smiled.

"We will take it," he said.

Rory continued to look, and she found a top and a three-piece Bump kit that included a wrap dress, black leggings, white top and black pencil skirt. Again, Marty handed the sales clerk his card. This time Rory didn't say anything, she just looked up at him and kissed his cheek. He quickly signed the receipt and kissed her forehead.

Grabbing the packages, he said, "Let's get some food in you."

They walked out of the store and headed up Broadway. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in early September. In two weeks it will be the first anniversary of her mother's death. She didn't want to think of it now, so she took a hold of Marty's hand as they were walking.

"So, what do you feel like eating? Mexican, American, Italian?"

"Ooh, let's have some Mexican food. I haven't' had that in a while." she said.

They went into La Equine on Kenmore Street. The host immediately got them a table when they went in. She took their drink order, Rory, ordered a water with Lemon and Marty ordered a Pacifica beer. Marty ordered for both figuring that they could share their meals. He ordered the Polo Rostizado Tacos for Rory and the Bistec Con Queso taco for himself.

He grabbed her hands when the waiter left and kissed them.

"Thank you for this," she said.

"I have enjoyed myself, in fact, I don't remember having so much fun shopping."

Just then his phone rang. He looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, are you going to be ok, if I walk out and answer it?" he asked.

"Yes, I will just look through the post and see what they said about the event last night."

Marty got up from the table and walked outside to take the call. It was from his sister who was in Hawaii, finishing her physician assistant degree while working as a traveling nurse in Oahu.

"Gabby, hi, how are you?"

"I'm great Marty. I just called to tell you that I am moving to New York City."

"Really that is great news. Wait I thought you had another month out there."

"Well I did, but I was offered a job at the New York Presbyterian Hospital with a Dr. Lawson. So, I start in two weeks."

"That's amazing Gabs, have you told mom and dad yet?" he asked her.

"No, I thought I would tell you first so that you could find me a studio apartment or someplace to live, maybe crash at your place?"

"Sure, I will call Steph and see if she knows of a place to rent. Listen I've got to go but I will call you back later."

He walked back to the table and watched as Rory was reading the article. She was stunned to see that her name was mentioned and there was even a picture of her kissing Jess. But the bigger picture was of her and Marty dancing with the caption under it, Producer with her escort, Mr. Martin Knight, Esq. No wonder the sales associate thought that they were a couple. She thought for sure that the Huntzbergers wouldn't be happy with this. She got more attention than they did in this article.

They enjoyed their lunch and when they were finished they took a taxi back to his apartment.

He went to the parking garage and got into his car and drove to where she was waiting at the front of the building. He then drove her to her apartment. They pulled into the visiting parking spot and got out. He grabbed her shopping bags and she took the two empty boxes that he had for her. They took the elevator to the 24th floor and he took her key. He opened the door and they walked in. He carried her packages in and asked her where she wanted them.

"Let's put them on my bed for now and then I will wash them and hang them up," she told him.

She opened the closet door that held Ace's clothes and she placed the empty boxes in there. He turned her around and pulled her into his arms. She put her head on his chest.

"Are you sure you are ready to do this?" he asked kissing the top of her head.

"I need to. I have to go on, if not for me but for the baby," she whispered.

"Ok, where do you want to start?"

"Why don't you start in the bathroom and I will empty the nightstand and maybe you can look on the top shelf in his closet."

"Ok," and he walked into the bathroom.

"Hey, Ror, which drawers did he use, the ones on the right or the left?" he called to her.

"The drawers on the left," she responded.

He opened the top drawer and found Ace's electric razor, his unused boxes of condoms, his toothpaste, toothbrushes and other toiletries he kept in the drawer. As he reached into the next drawer, he felt something stuck between the drawer and the wall. He pulled it out, and it was a black book full of his addresses. He flipped through it and noticed it was written in French. He slipped it into his back pocket to show it to her. He then emptied the left side of a medicine cabinet and put the items in the box. She was sitting on her bed and pulling items out of the nightstand on the left side of the bed. She found the book he was reading, his reading glasses, his extra cell phone charger, and five SD cards that he must have used on his computer. She looked at them and then looked up as Marty walked into the room carrying out the box and placing it on the floor by the closet door. He looked at her and saw her holding some SD cards in her hand.

"Rory, what do you have there?"

"These SD cards, he must have stored information for his stories on it. Oh, wait here is another black notebook," she said as she reached in and pulled out the book that was stuck between the wall and drawer. She pulled it out and looked through it.

"Humph, it's written in French. I guess he didn't trust me," she said.

Marty walked over to her and sat beside her.

"Hey, look at me, just because he wrote in French doesn't mean he didn't trust you. Wasn't French his native language?"

"Yes,"

"It probably was easier for him to write his thoughts down in French first," he said.

"Yeah, maybe but he wrote in English all the time, he was a journalist," she argued.

"Ror, I think you are over thinking this."

He put his thumb under her chin and leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly.

The two of them took the items she had in her hand and placed them in the box. He went to the closet to get the boxes they had filled the other day. He noticed the black book that looked like the notebooks. He looked on the top shelf and noticed a lock box. He pulled it out and carried it to the kitchen counter. He put the notebooks and the address book from his back pocket on the counter. He went back into the bedroom to see if she was finished yet. She was standing now at her dresser looking through the bottom two drawers. He noticed that she would pick up an object and hold it in her hand for a while. Finally, he took it from her and pulled her into his arms.

"Come on I have a better idea. Let's go for a walk and stop and get a drink or ice cream," he told her.

"Marty, I don't think I can stay here alone tonight. Can I sleep at your place tonight?"

He kissed her on the top of her head and said, "Get what you need, and we will go."

She quickly packed an overnight bag. Holding hands, they left the apartment and took the elevator to his waiting car in the garage.

After that strange breakfast at George's restaurant, Logan decided he needed to talk to his father. He drove to Hartford arriving at 2:30 at his parent's home. Relieved to see his father's Porsche SUV sitting in the driveway, he walked into the house and headed directly to his father's office. Mitchum was sitting behind his desk looking through correspondence. Logan walked in without knocking and sat in the chair in front of his father's. Leaning back in his office chair, Mitchum grinned at him.

"What brings you out here to see me, Logan? I thought the event went well last night."

"You though this event was a success?" Logan responded looking back at him with a glare.

"We signed many new writers, unfortunately, Mr. Mariano refused the offer telling me he was pleased with Simon and Schuster and Truncheon Books."

"Tell me, Dad, what was the real reason you asked Jess Mariano to come?"

"What do you mean, Logan? He is a popular writer, and I thought I could offer him more money and more media attention."

Logan got up, walking to the bar taking a glass and poured himself some scotch.

Turning to his father he sneered, "Dad, I know there was something behind that little show you put on last night. Why did you bring that gossip Liza Morgan over to meet Rory? Whatever your plan was, it backfired!"

"Logan, I had no plan - I felt it was the time that Rory met Liza Morgan. Liza seemed to be interested in meeting her. She felt it was important to know that her roommate was with Ace the day he died. I thought that bit of information would comfort her to know that he was with a friend and not alone."

"Why do you think that was comforting for Rory? You know she's pregnant and now the father of her child is dead. How is that comforting?" Logan fumed.

"Pregnant, that's interesting I didn't know that. You know Logan this would be a good time for you and Miss Gilmore to get back together. She is much more successful than I ever thought she would be and knowing that her father is Christopher Hayden…. Hmm."

"So that's what it is, you are trying to manipulate me again. Well, this won't happen. I have left the company and under my name, I am developing my own brand. Who I date is no longer your concern or interest. For the last time, Mitchum, stay out of my life." Logan slammed the drink on his father's desk not caring that some of the liquid spilled out. He turned and stormed out of the room and out of the house. Putting his car into gear he returned to NYC and called Colin and Finn asking them to meet him at his apartment.

Rory and Marty returned to his apartment. She went into the bathroom and washed her face and put on a sleeping T-shirt and lounging pants. She came out and sat on his couch. He was already in his shorts and his Harvard T-shirt. He had made them a large chef salad to share and gave her a bottle of sparkling water while he drank his beer. Rory put her head on his shoulder. He turned on Netflix and noticed that 'Breakfast at Tiffany's" was playing. He turned it on for them to watch knowing it was one of her favorite movies. They sat there eating their salad and watched it.

When they finished their salad, he moved so that he was reclining on the couch and pulled her to his lap. She laid her head on his chest. She loved to listen to him breathe and listen to his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and soon she was asleep. He turned off the tv and pulling her closer, Marty lay in the dark and thought about the two books that he had put on her counter and the scan disks that she found. They had belonged to Ace. He wondered if tomorrow would be a good day to go through it or if they should wait till later in the week. He knew that she had an appointment this week and wondered if he should ask her if he could go with her. He wished his sister was working here already. She could answer his questions about Rory's pregnancy. He was worried about her. He didn't think the nightmares she was having were normal. He wondered how long he should wait before he asked her to marry him. He saw the rings that belonged to her and Ace and noticed that she had removed her engagement ring. He hoped that this meant she was ready to move on with him like she said, a new chapter in their life together.

The next week was busy. Brie and Dan didn't return till late on Monday from their trip in upstate New York and Rory didn't have time to talk to Brie. She really missed Brie, she wasn't just her assistant but also her best friend. Jess had also called to tell her that he wasn't going to be able to go with her to her doctor's appointment. He was meeting with his new publisher at Simon & Schuster's and they were going to go over his book tour. She told him not to worry about it and she was sure that Steph would go with her.

She had been sleeping at Marty's but tonight she decided to go back to her own place since she was going to have to go to the doctor's the next day. She never told Marty about Jess not being able to go. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to go with her. She was sitting up on the roof terrace watching the sunset when her phone rang.

It was Logan. She hadn't heard from him since she saw him on Saturday at the restaurant.

"Hi," she said when she answered the phone.

"How has your week been?" she asked him.

"Oh busy. Did you get your shopping done?"

Laughing she replied, "Yes, I needed new clothes, mine were getting a little tight."

She rubbed her stomach over her yoga pants that she was wearing.

"So, I was wondering if you would like to meet for lunch. You do get time off for lunch, right? I told you that I would check on you to make sure you ate," he rambled.

"Are you rambling, Logan?"

"Yeah, Ace I guess I am."

"Well to answer your question, yes I can meet you for lunch. When and where?"

"How about you decide."

"Ok, why don't we meet tomorrow at twelve thirty at The Battery Gardens Restaurant."

"Do you want me to pick you up at your apartment? Or meet you there?"

"Um, why don't you park in one of the visitor's spots at my apartment and we could walk from there."

"I will see you tomorrow then, bye."

She hung up and decided to call Steph.

"Steph, this is Rory."

"Hi, how are you? What happened the other night?" Steph asked her.

Rory rested her head on the chaise lounge she was sitting on and told her what had happened.

"Logan and I danced, and we were talking. Mitchum came by again and this time brought Liza Morgan and introduced us. Liza told me that her roommate Cecilie Bouchard dated Ace and was with him the day he died in Nice. I knew I needed to leave. I walked to the table looking for Marty or Jess. I noticed Marty over in the corner with a group of people and this woman. Then later Marty came over to my apartment. He took me out to breakfast and went shopping with me."

"That explains why you left. Rory that woman that had her hands all over Marty is another lawyer in the firm. Her name is Lyla Walters, she has had a thing for Marty for years, but he won't give her the time of day. He worried when he couldn't find you. I am glad that he came to your apartment." Steph answered

"I am too, we talked. Did I tell you that both Marty and Logan were here at the house when I found the wedding rings?" she asked Steph.

"No, you never said they were with you, I figured that you found them when you were alone."

"I went into the bathroom looking for the colander that I kept things in under the sink. I dumped the contents out on my bed and the two boxes were there. Ace must have hidden them there. I opened his box first and saw the ring. We went together to pick out those rings 3 weeks before he died. I hadn't realized that he bought them."

She swallowed trying to fight back her tears. "I knew then that I had to try and let Ace go, for me and for the baby. "

"Oh, Rory, I know it's hard. I am here for you and just think our children will be able to grow up together."

"Steph, that reminds me. Are you busy tomorrow? I have another appointment. Jess was going to go with me, but he has to meet with his publisher."

"Sorry Rory, no I can't I am showing apartments to Marty tomorrow. His sister is moving back to the city and he asked me to help."

"Oh, that's ok. Well, I 've got to go Steph. I will call you and tell you about my appointment."

She hung up the phone and was upset that Marty never told her that his sister was moving back here. Now she wasn't feeling guilty about accepting lunch with Logan tomorrow.

Steph hung up the phone and smiled. She felt relieved to know that Marty had taken her shopping on Saturday. She was glad to hear that she wasn't alone when she found the rings. Steph still had her concerns about Logan and wondered if she should have told her that Logan called Colin and Finn on Sunday night to talk. She knew what that talk was about even if Colin said nothing to her. When he came home that night Colin woke Steph up, smelling of scotch and cigars and knew where he had been.

He kissed her passionately then said, "I am glad I never had to fight for your affections."

They made tender love and then they both fell asleep in each other's arms. She knew that he was referring to Logan. She hopes that Logan doesn't interfere with Marty and Rory. Rory deserves a man like Marty, someone who adores her, strong, affectionate, someone who would respect her. Steph quickly sent Finn a text and asked him if he could bring Rory to her doctor's appointment. She explained she didn't want her to go alone or have Logan go with her. She quickly received a response from Finn.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Roy slept well alone in her apartment. She had left the bathroom light on and played music on her iPod all night which seems to calm her. She also took a shower using her new Lavender soap which seems to relax her.

She had just finished putting on her black wrap dress that Marty had bought her when her phone rang. Thinking it was Logan she answered it when she saw HPG on her phone.

"Hello"

"Rory, Mitchum Huntzberger. How are you?"

Rory looked at her phone in shock. Why was he calling her.

"Oh, Hello, Mr. Huntzberger," she replied answering him.

"Rory, call me Mitchum, I called to ask you to meet me for lunch today, I hope you can make it."

"Well I am sorry, but I have another lunch engagement this afternoon," she replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well how about tomorrow?" he pushed.

"Mr. Huntzberger, I am very busy, and I don't have time for lunch this week. So, if you will excuse me I have to go." Without saying goodbye, she hung up the phone.

She looked at her phone and wondered if she was going to be ambushed when she had lunch with Logan today. She was going to give him a piece of her mind when he came.

Just then her apartment buzzer rang. She looked out the peephole and saw it was Logan.

Opening the door, she said, "If you arrived about two minutes earlier you would have been able to speak with your father."

Walking into her apartment he kissed her on her cheek.

"What do you mean?"

"Your father just called me and asked me to meet him for lunch today. When I told him, I was busy he wanted me to meet him tomorrow. What's going on, Logan? Why the interest in me all of a sudden?"

Taking her hand in his he said, "Ror, I don't know. I told him to stay out of my life. I guess I will have to tell him again. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, just let me get my keys and purse." She walked to the table by her door and grabbed everything. Opening the door, the two of them took the elevator to the lobby and walked out towards the Waterfront Esplanade. They walked side by side without saying anything. Finally, Logan broke the silence.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"Yes, it's just that I have a lot on my mind."

They were in front of the restaurant and he placed his hand on her lower back and guided her in. He had made reservations last night after talking to her and they were seated right away.

"This is a beautiful restaurant, I haven't eaten here before," he told her.

"Yes, it is, it's one of my favorites especially since I can walk to it."

"What do you recommend," he asked her glancing up from the menu.

She grinned at him. "This is a switch. You used to recommend the food at restaurants for me all the time."

"Yeah, I guess I did."

He smiled back at her. "This is good, sitting here together. I've missed this, Rory, you and me."

"Yeah, Logan…"

Just then the waiter came to take their drink orders. Rory ordered an iced tea and so did Logan.

"No scotch with lunch today?" she asked him.

"Naah, I overdid it with the boys on Sunday.'

"Oh, were you with Colin, Finn, and Robert? How is Robert? I haven't seen him in a long time."

"No, I was with Colin and Finn. I haven't heard from Robert in a long time. Last I heard he was in England. He took over his father's Security Business."

The waiter returned with their drinks and they both ordered lunch.

"So are you going to the studio later today?"

"No, actually I am going to my doctor's appointment. I am having my 16-week ultrasound today."

"Is Steph meeting you there?"

"No Steph can't make it. She is showing apartments to Marty today."

The lunch arrived, and Rory pretended to eat so she didn't have to say anything more. Logan watched her behavior. Something was bothering her.

"Rory, what's wrong?" he asked her.

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm ok. Just so much going on," she said.

Suddenly Logan's phone rang. He looked at it and turned off the ringer.

"Logan, you should answer it if it is important," as she watched the phone vibrate on the table.

"No, Ace, it can wait," he said.

Just then Finn walked into the restaurant.

"Rory, Logan what are you two doing here?" Finn said as he pulled up a chair next to them.

"Having lunch together, why?" Logan asked. "How did you find me."

"Well mate you told that beautiful secretary that you and Liam hired, where you were going."

"So, is this a business lunch?" Finn leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Logan's phone vibrated again, "Excuse me, I guess I better get it."

He got up and took his phone outside of the restaurant to answer the call.

Rory smiled up at him. "You have impeccable timing Mr.," she told him.

"Love, it has always been about the timing, but it has always been off when it comes to you."

"So, tell me, Finn, why are you here?

"Well Steph told me that you had a doctor's appointment today, so I came to take you, but I had time, so I decided to check in on Logan. I was surprised to see you with him."

"Oh Finn, that's wonderful. I was worried that I would have to go by myself. Thank you."

She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Logan was walking back to the restaurant when he saw Finn embrace Rory and giving her a kiss. Immediately he became jealous.

"Hey, you two, what's going on?" he said as he sat back down at the table.

"Is everything ok, Logan?" Rory asked him

"Yeah, Yeah, everything's fine. So, Finn, you didn't tell me why you were looking for me?"

"Well mate, I wanted to see how you were doing. You were drunk on Sunday and seemed pissed off. So, I was just making sure you were feeling better about the things we talked about," Finn said pointedly looking at Logan.

"Yes, I think things are going just fine," he answered and took a sip of his ice tea.

Rory looked at her phone and notice that she had to leave now to get to her appointment on time.

Looking at Logan she grabbed his hand and said, "Thank you for lunch today, Logan. I enjoyed it. But I have to leave to get to my appointment."

Logan stood up and motioned for the waitress to bring them their check.

"Are you ready Love?" Finn asked as he and Rory stood up.

"Rory where are you going with Finn?" Logan asked.

"Finn is going with me to my appointment today," she responded.

"Really, ok. Well, remember if you need me for anything don't hesitate and call. I still want you to come and visit the studio with me some time," he said as he stood up. Rory walked around the table and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. Smiling she and Finn walked out of the restaurant to the car that Finn had waiting to take them to her appointment.

Logan signed the receipt and walked out of the restaurant back to the Garden City apartments to get his car.

Finn took Rory's hand in his and looked at her. She had been sitting there quietly ever since they got into the car.

"Love, are you ok?" he asked.

"I am nervous, and scared. It's getting to be real now, Finn" she sighed.

Giving her a hug he said. "Ror, you're going to be ok. Uncle Finn is here to make sure you and the little one will be fine."

"Here, Steph said that you need to drink this water before you get there" and he handed her a bottle of water.

"Ah, you're so sweet, Finn." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Anything for you Love," he said, and he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the forehead.

"You know, I am sorry things never worked out for us."

"What do you mean, Finn?"

"Well If I hadn't let my friendship with Logan come between us, this might be our baby now," he confessed.

"Oh Finn, we were young. You and Logan had been friends forever. I did not want to come between the two of you. At least you are still in my life and what we have is so special. You have Rosemary now." she whispered.

He pulled her into him and gave her a gentle peck on the lips, afraid if he did more he would reveal his true feelings for her. The car pulled up in front of the offices of Dr. Lawson. The driver came and opened their door. Rory slid out and Finn grabbed her water bottle and exited the car right behind her. Placing his hand on the small of her back they walked into the building. In the elevator, he handed the bottle to her.

"Now drink, Miss Gilmore. I want to see pictures of my beautiful niece or nephew," he told her chuckling.

They walked into Dr. Lawson's lavish office. She gave her name to the receptionist, and they sat down. Sitting in the waiting room she finished the water and was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Finn watched as she was squirming in her seat and a smile came across his face.

He whispered in her ear, "Ror is this as bad as the time you had to wait in the long line at the LDB event and you begged me to watch the men's room door, so you could use it?"

"This is worse, and you were terrible. You didn't watch the bathroom door, you let the other guys walk in. Do you know how embarrassed I was when I walked out and saw three members of the LDB standing at the urinal?"

She slapped Finn on the arm and the two of them laughed remembering that incident. Just then the technician called them back. They were going to do the ultrasound first then meet with the doctor. This way she would be comfortable during her examination. They had her lay on the table and Rory pulled up her blue sundress and the technician laid a cloth on her lower part as she lifted her dress. She squirted the gel on her belly. Finn stood beside her holding her hand.

The technician moved the wand over her abdomen clicking keys and taking measurements. She turned the screen so that they could see the baby.

"Finn it's moving. You can see its ribs and little fingers."

"Rory, this is amazing, you can see its feet."

"Listen to the heart, can you tell what it is yet?"

"What do you think it is?" the technician asked them.

"It's a girl!" Rory said.

"Well let's see if the baby will cooperate," the technician says as she moves the wand over Rory's belly.

Tears formed in Finn's eye and he whispered, "Do you see something?"

The technician laughed, "I think your baby is trying to tell you something, Look right there, it's a little boy."

"It's a boy?" Rory gasped and cried.

Finn leaned over and caught in the moment he kissed her again. "Love, it's a boy. I am going to have a nephew."

The technician gave Rory a towel to clean herself up. Finn helped her up, and she went into the bathroom.

She returned to the examination room, and she looked at Finn.

"What am I going to do Finn. I am all alone. How can I do this?" Tears silently fell from her blue eyes.

"Ror, everything will be ok, don't worry."

"I'm not, it's just…" Rory never finished her conversation with Finn. The nurse came in and took her blood pressure. Dr. Lawson then walked in and looked at them.

"So, Rory, are you feeling better?" she asked.

Wiping the tears from her face, "Yes just a little emotional."

"That's expected you may find that you will be very emotional. As you can see from the ultrasound, the baby is healthy and developing. You should have your little boy around January 26. Are you experiencing any other problems? Are you remembering to eat?" she asked.

"No, I am tired, but I am eating better. I am also craving certain foods."

"That's normal. So, I will see you next month. How many pictures would you like?"

She looked at Finn, "Ten maybe?" she told the doctor.

Rory and Finn left the examination room and stopped at reception to set up her next appointment and pick up the pictures.

"Where to, Kitten? I am at your disposal all day," Finn asked her as they got into the town car.

"I need to go home."

She leaned her head on his shoulder as the car headed back to her apartment. She closed her eyes and thought how sad she was. All she could think about was that Ace wasn't here to meet his son, to watch him grow, to teach him French to love him. Most of all he wasn't here to grow old with her.

They returned to her apartment building and he took her back to her apartment.

He took her key and opened the door. The two of them walked in. She placed her purse on the table and he put her keys in the bowl she kept there for that purpose.

She walked over to the couch and put the couch pillow on her chest and hugged it.

Sitting next to her he kissed her on the forehead. Putting his finger under her chin he pulled her face to look at him.

"Ror, Ace knew how I felt about you. He knew that I would always be there for you. Why do you think he spent so much time with Jess and me? He knew how much you meant to us. I promised him whenever he wasn't around I would be there."

She looked up at him and she gave him a small smile.

"He knew about us?"

"Yes, he knew that both Jess and I were more than friends with you. He knew you never would cheat on him, but he knew how we all cared for each other and he trusted you."

She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

"I know that this isn't going to be easy. But I want you to believe that you'll be ok.

No matter where you and little Ace are, I won't be far."

She let go of the pillow and put her hands around his neck and hugged him.

"Finn thank you." She kissed him on the cheek and they both stood up. They walked to the door and he kissed her on the forehead.

"Love, you will be ok." He then turned and walked to the elevator. She stood and watched him walk away. She then closed the door to her apartment and laid down on her couch and fell asleep.

" _ **Rory, Rory, come on bring the baby over to great grandma. Isn't he beautiful Lorelai? I always told you that they would make beautiful babies. With his blond hair and charming good looks and her blue eye."**_

" _ **Wait, Rory who is the father of this baby? He doesn't have blond hair and blue eyes, Are his eyes, green? No, now they are brown. His hair is dark too."**_

" _ **Richard look at your great grandson isn't he beautiful? I always told you that she would make beautiful babies."**_

" _ **Mom, Mom? Luke where's mom? Where's my baby? Who took my baby?"**_

Rory woke up with a start. She heard her apartment buzzer go off. She looked around and then she remembered that she returned from her doctor's appointment with Finn and fell asleep. She slowly got up off her couch. The buzzer went off again.

"Coming," she said.

She opened the door without looking out of her peephole. Standing there were Colin and Steph with a box of pizza. She smiled at both and then hugged Steph.

"So, tell me what the 16-week Ultrasound was like," said Steph excited to hear all about it.

Colin walked in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I hope you don't mind that we came over. Oh, and Marty will be over later. He had some phone calls he had to make."

"Oh," she said.

She was embarrassed now because Finn kissed her twice today and she had started to have feelings for Marty. It reminded her of the time of Jess and Dean. Was she cheating on Marty now? No, they weren't in a relationship, though he did tell her how he felt. Finn did too, he admitted that he wished that this child was theirs. She was so confused. She looked at Colin and Steph and walked over to her cupboards and got out a stack of paper plates and napkins. She opened her refrigerator and got out a bottle of Sam Adams beer for Colin and took out two bottles of sparkling water for her and Steph.

"Well I have pictures," she said.

Standing up, Rory walked over to her purse that she left on the counter. She took one out and handed it to Steph. She hadn't looked at them since she came home.

"Rory, these are 3D pictures. Look you can see the fingers, toes, the spine, and what wait…. hey Rory, what's that arrow pointing to?" Colin and Steph asked Rory as they stared at the picture.

"Look carefully," Rory said giggling.

"No, It's a. boy!" Colin said. Steph screamed and hugged her friend.

"Oh Rory, if I have a boy, the two can grow up and be best friends and if I have a girl, she can marry your son."

Rory laughed at her best friend. "Please, no dynastic plan for this one."

"Steph, it was amazing and thanks so much for asking Finn to go with me. Is he coming over tonight too?"

"Yes, he said he was going to stop over later, he had some things he wanted to do before he stopped by," Colin said.

"Well we saw the baby move and it was amazing," Rory told them.

"Rory, the baby is beautiful. Look, Colin, you can see his head, nose, eyelids. Look it is sucking its thumb," said Steph.

She looked at her son's picture and knew in her heart that she was in love with him. Her instincts took over, and she knew she had to protect him from everything and everyone. Will she be able to do this?

Just then the buzzer rang, and Marty and Finn walked in when Steph opened the door.

"Well, did you see our nephew?" Finn said as he watched Colin hugging Rory.

"Rory, are you having a son?" Marty asked her. "That is wonderful news."

He walked over to her and kissed her on her cheek. Rory immediately blushed and looked at Finn. He smiled at her. She walked over and gave Finn and Marty each a picture.

"Well I bought some sparkling grape juice for the ladies and champagne for us," Finn said.

Rory walked over to the cupboard and got her champagne flutes. She placed them on the bar and Finn popped open the bottle. They all laughed as the champagne popped.

Pouring the champagne into the glasses for him, Colin and Marty, and the sparkling grape juice for the girls he said, "I need to make a toast. To the miracles of life Rory and baby Ace. Rory, you are going to be ok, wherever you are we will not be far."

He raised his glass to them and looking at Rory he winked.

The friends enjoyed their pizza and soon the men were sitting and watching a soccer game that Finn found on TV. Rory asked Steph to come into the bedroom with her. She told her she wanted to show her the clothes she found, but really, she wanted to talk to her about having her sell Ace's apartment and what had happened between her and Finn today and the feelings she was beginning to have for Marty.

Rory opened her closet and pulled out some of her new maternity clothes. Steph was excited because she was starting to notice some of her clothes were feeling a little tight. She was about 12 weeks pregnant now. She wasn't as sick as Rory was, but she made sure she ate remembering what the doctor had told Rory. She couldn't wait till she had her ultrasound to reveal the gender. Now that she knew that Rory was having a son, she thought it would be great if she had one too and they could raise them together.

"Steph, I want to ask you for a favor."

"Sure Rory, anything. What do you need?"

"Steph, you know that Ace had an apartment on 160 Central Park South. Would you like to list his apartment?"

"Yes, I would love to list it. He owned it, right?"

"Yes, and according to Marty and Colin I own it now."

"Okay, maybe we can look at it sometime in the next few weeks. Do you have the key?"

Rory walked over to her dresser where there was a dish that she had kept their keys in. She picked up his key and handed it to her.

"Here," handing the key to Steph she said, "why don't you look at it first. I know I must go and clean it, maybe you can sell it furnished? You can list it at whatever the fair market price is. I will take the money from the sale and put it in a trust for the baby." Rory wiped a tear that was falling down her cheek.

"Rory, it's going to be ok. You heard Finn."

"Oh Steph, that's what I really wanted to talk about. Finn and I kissed twice."

"I'm not surprised, Rory. We knew about the short fling the two of you had the year after Logan left for London. Finn was so racked with guilt he came over one night and told us everything. Then when you met Ace he started to seriously date Rosemary."

"Well, he told me today that he wished it was our child. He said that Ace knew about his feelings and Jess' feelings towards me. Now I feel guilty because I don't feel that way towards them. And Steph I have feelings for Marty."

Steph pulled Rory into her arms.

"Rory, so why are you crying?"

"I feel that I am cheating on Ace, I have kissed two men since he died, and I have strong feelings for one."

"Rory, it's ok. He was the man you loved, you were going to marry, of course, it would upset you."

Rory stammered, "I have been having dreams. In one dream Marty was there and so was Logan. Marty was dressed in a suit of Armor. He was singing to me and Logan was telling me I had to leave with him. The last dream I had was just before you came in and my grandmother was telling me what a beautiful baby I had but its eyes and hair kept changing colors."

"Ror, I don't think you need to worry, I have been having strange dreams too since I found out I was pregnant."

"When I went to Stars Hollow with Jess we had a long talk. We were sitting on the Muddy River Bridge. I told him how much I missed my mother and how scared I was to be alone. He told me that I wasn't alone. That I had all of you but that to look in front of me, not to make the mistakes my mother made. He said that my Luke is here in New York City. Steph, I think my Luke is Marty."

Steph smiled at her and nodded her head. "I think you are right."

"What should I do?" she asked her best friend.

"Rory, open up your heart and let it happen."

Rory gave her best friend a smile and hugged her. The two girls came out of the bedroom. Steph went and sat on Colin's lap who was sitting in the recliner watching the soccer game. Rory sat between Finn and Marty on the couch. Both men looked at her and smiled.

"Love, everything will be okay," Finn said and gave her a peck on the cheek.

The rest of the week went by quickly for Rory. Since Dan's return from his trip with Brie, Charlie the news director asked him if he would sit in for a few of the anchors that went on their summer vacation. Dan had sat in for Gayle King when she took her two-week vacation. It seems that when Dan was the anchor the polls that the networked used, showed an increase in viewers whenever he did the news. Rory stood in the studio and watched him on camera. He had charm and charisma on the screen. She knew that soon he would be an anchor full time. She was surprised it hadn't happened before. She gave him thumbs up Thursday morning. It was his third day on the morning news. She turned and walked back into the newsroom.

She heard someone call her name.

"Hey, Gilmore, you have a telephone call," Brie told her.

"Did they give you a name?" she asked. It was unusual for her to get calls at work.

"No, but he asked for you."

"Rory, Mitchum here. Did I catch you at a bad time?" he asked.

"Mr. Huntzberger, I am very busy, as you know the news doesn't stop for anyone."

Dan was walking by and heard her say his name. He stopped by her desk and listened.

"Rory, I really want to meet with you. What can I do so that you will have dinner with me?"

"Mr. Huntzberger, Mitchum, I am not interested. I really like where I work."

"What if I tell you that I have something that might be beneficial for you and your unborn child's future," he said.

"I would say please call my lawyers, Colin McCrae and Martin Knight. Goodbye." and she slammed the phone down.

"What did he want?" he asked Rory.

"He wanted me to meet him for dinner, so I told him to call my lawyers and I hung up," she answered gathering her papers to go over the latest story.

"Rory, I am here for you, and if you need me to go with you to the dinner I will go," Dan told her with concern on his face.

Looking up at him she smiled, "Thanks, Dan."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

She got back to work and between the normal calls and reports coming over the AP the time flew, she looked up and noticed that the newsroom was clearing out. She began to clear her desk and gathered her things. It was a Friday and most people would be going to the Hamilton for drinks. She wasn't in the mood and took the elevator down to the lobby. Just as she was getting off the elevator she saw Logan ready to get on.

"Logan, what are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Ror, I came here to see you. I was wondering if you would like to grab something to eat, or needed a ride home." He said smiling at her.

"Wow, twice in one week. Well I do have to eat." she said.

"How about some Italian food?"

"That's sounds great."

Placing his hand on the small of her back he led her out of the building and into his car. Frank was standing waiting there. She greeted him and slid into the car. Logan followed and told Frank to take them to Gigino at Wagner Park. It wasn't far from Rory's apartment. They walked in and the Hostess seated them right away.

"Logan, how do you do that? Most people have to wait a long time for a table here."

Logan smiled at her and whispered, "It's a secret."

They sat down, she ordered an iced tea and Logan ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

"Do you mind if I order for us tonight?' Logan asked her.

"No Logan go ahead. My brain is foggy recently. I guess you would say I have 'pregnancy brain'. I can't seem to remember anything lately, so I have notes on notes."

Laughing he looked at her. "You really look beautiful, Rory. I am sorry that I had to step out of our lunch the other day and take that call. But look, my phone is off and there will be no interruptions," he said.

"Ok, I will do the same."

Reaching into her bag she grabbed her phone. As she went to turn it off, she noticed she missed a call from Marty and a message. She turned the phone off and decided she would call him when she got home after she ate. The waitress came back to take their order, Logan ordered the Tortellini in Brodo for them both, a tortellini soup in chicken broth, Rigatoni Ambrosiana for Rory and the Salmone Al Balsamico for himself.

"So, I was wondering how was your doctor appointment. Is everything still going well?" he asked her.

"Yes, it is. I have a picture."

Reaching into her purse she pulled out the Ultrasound photo of her son.

"Wow, Ace, this is amazing! Look you can see the backbone and little toes. Yup, five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. Look at those long fingers. He will either type fast or play the piano. Um Rory? What is this arrow for?"

Rory laughed at him, "Look closely. What do you think?"

"Congratulations! Does this mean you're having a boy? Wow that is great. Rory I'm happy for you."

He went to hand the picture back to her.

"I gave one to Colin, Steph and Finn and I want you to have one too," she told him.

"Rory, that means a lot to me."

He slipped the photo in his breast pocket. Then he reached across the table and took her hand in his. P

"So, are you ok?" he asked.

Taking her hand back she took a sip of her ice tea. "Logan, it's hard. I really miss Ace and it's very scary. It's just that yesterday finding out the baby's gender was very emotional. I thought it would be a girl. I know I can raise a girl, but a boy? I don't know if I can do that. My mom isn't around and well you know Emily. Plus, she is in her eighties and I am sure she will have something negative to say about everything that I do."

"Rory, I can help. Remember I was a little boy once."

"Logan thank you for that offer but that is scary. You would have him diving off bridges at age 3 and telling him to jump because Uncle Finn would be there to catch him. I don't think so!" She laughed at that image.

"Ace, I'm not bad. But I helped my nephew climb a tree at age 3. I thought Honor would kill me. Micah looked so cute with his superman cape on. I would catch him," he teased.

"No, you didn't!" She gasped.

He laughed, "Rory my offers still stand, I am here, please let me help. Please?" he gave her his pleading look and she laughed.

"Logan, you haven't changed." she laughed, I will call you when I need help. I promise. As long as you promise you will come."

Their dinner came, and they sat there eating and talking. For Logan, it felt that the tension that he felt between them was now fading away. Maybe he had a chance with her. He still didn't understand why his father keeps asking him if he was dating her yet?

For dessert her ordered one Tiramisu with two spoons. He knew it was her favorite dessert. She ordered a cup of herbal tea and he ordered a scotch. They sat talking and sharing the dessert.

"How about going for a walk by the waterfront?" he suggested.

"That would be nice,"

He escorted her outside and they began to walk by the water. The stopped and looked out at the Statue of Liberty.

"You know I have come to this city so many times and, yet I never have visited there." he said as he looked out at the magnificent monument all lit up at night.

"Neither have I," Rory responded.

"Hey, maybe we can do that sometime." he said taking her hands in hers and looking at her.

"Yeah, that might be fun." Looking in his eyes she bit her bottom lip.

Knowing that this was a habit she had when she was thinking of something he asked, "Rory, what are you thinking about?"

"Logan, your father called me again today."

"What did he want?"

"So, you don't know what this is about? He told me that he had something to tell me that would be beneficial to me and my child."

Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck he said, "I don't know."

"Does this have anything to do with Liza Majors and Cecilie Bouchard? Do you know why he brought her over to meet me?"

"Ace, I don't know why he did that I even asked him, and he wouldn't give me a straight answer. I am sorry that he did that."

"Logan, I think I should get back home. I really had a good time tonight." She was leaning with her back on the black railing around the waterfront and he was standing in front of her.

Putting his hands on her arms he took a step closer to her. He looked into her blue eyes. They seem to sparkle with the reflection of the lights. Just then he looked up into the sky, something caught his eye.

"Ace, look, up in the sky." She turned just as she said it and saw something that looked like a falling star.

"Logan is that a falling star?"

"I think it is, did you make a wish?"

She closed her eyes and made a wish. She nodded her head. She opened up her eyes and his face were closer, she felt the pull of his lips, she looked at them and then looked at his face and then she thought of Ace. She bit her lip and turned her head.

Swallowing she said, "I think we should go back."

Her apartment wasn't far from the restaurant. They walked back, and he escorted her up the elevator and to her door.

"Thanks again, Logan. It was fun tonight."

He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled.

"Goodnight, Ace"

She opened up her door and walked in. She closed the door and with her back she leaned against it. What was wrong with her, she almost kissed Logan. She is so confused. She can't have Logan in her life again, could she? That means the Huntzbergers too. No, she can't deal with them and now she has the baby to consider. Logan would never be satisfied with helping her with Ace's child.

She went into her room and changed and grabbed Marty's Yale t-shirt and put it on.

She turned on her iPod to Deep Sleep Music and soon she drifted off to sleep.

 _ **Ace was watching her across the event room at the Four Seasons. She wanted to go to him, but people were stopping her. He watched her as she danced with Logan, Jess, Finn and Marty. She kept on calling his name. She saw Liza in her dreams telling her that Ace never loved her. She ran from the party.**_

 _ **In the distance she heard a little boy calling for her, "Mommy, Mommy!" She looked and looked but she couldn't find him.**_

 _ **Then she saw Mitchum. They were having lunch at the Boathouse at Central Park, it was beautiful and decorated the way she had planned for her wedding. Mitchum was talking. "Rory, I was wrong about you. I want you to join HPG…"**_

 _ **She got up and ran away opening different doors. She saw Marty reaching for her, but she couldn't reach him. She felt something pulling at her. She opened another door and saw Brie and Dan calling to her. The next door she opened, she saw Logan sitting in a carriage wearing a tux and reaching for her hand. She turned and found another door opening it a she heard a loud buzzing noise.**_ _ **She closed the door, the noise turned into a ringing sound and it didn't stop, she kept on calling for Marty.**_

She suddenly sat up and realized that she had been dreaming and someone was at her door. Still in the Yale T shirt she walked to the door to answer it. She looked through the peephole and saw Steph standing there with a white bag and a cup carrier. She put her hand through her hair and opened the door.

"Hey sleepy head, did you forget we were going to go and look at Ace's Apartment today?"

"Yes, I guess I did. Sorry, I have Pregnancy Brain," she said letting her best friend into her apartment.

Steph walked in and put the bags on the counter. Opening up the cupboards she pulled out a plate and took out 2 mugs for the hot tea she bought them.

"So, this is what I have to look forward to? Colin says I am dizzy enough," she laughed.

"Go take a shower."

"Ok, I will be right out," she said.

Rory quickly took her shower and pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a white tunic top that Marty had bought her. She pulled her hair in a ponytail and came out. She looked so underdressed compared to Steph, but she didn't mind.

"Thanks for bringing these muffins over Steph. I just love fall and apple muffins."

"I know, lately all I want is cinnamon and applesauce," Steph told her. "Rory are you going to be ok going into Ace's apartment?"

"Steph, I have to, I have to let go. I can't keep it forever."

"Ok, well I ask Marty and Colin to meet us there, they will bring boxes so that we can pack up his things too. I told Marty I would come and get you. He thought you were mad at him because you never called him last night."

"Oh, no, have a made a mess of things?" she started to cry.

"What's the matter Rory?"

"Logan, he came and met me at work and we went out to dinner. He took me to dinner and I came home and fell asleep."

"So why do you think you messed it up?"

"Because I never called Marty. Oh, Steph I am so messed up. I have feelings for Marty but I almost kissed Logan last night… but I didn't. What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing, I think you and I need to have a sit down with Paris tomorrow and talk to her about these urges we are having and cravings." and Steph got Rory to start giggling.

The girls cleaned up their muffins and tea mugs and then left the apartment. When the got to the lobby, Jonathan was there opening the door for them and signaling Steph's car to come and pick them up.

It didn't take long for them to get to Ace's apartment on 160 Central Park South. Rory walked into the lobby and the doorman immediately recognized her. She went to the elevator and went up to the 18th floor, apartment 17. She took a breath and Steph took out the key and opened the door. This was a beautiful apartment. It was a large one bedroom with a bath and half. Ace had the apartment renovated, from the solid herringbone hardwood floors, a brand new en-suite bath with double sinks and a powder room, and a new marble kitchen with Sub-Zero refrigerator. The living room has soaring 10-foot ceilings, new windows and an open kitchen. It is airy, and loft like with great light and no street noise. There is a living area as well as a large dining area.

The large master bedroom has two generous closets and is also bright and silent, you hear no street noise. There are also two additional closets in the apartment including a huge walk-in "owners closet" for private storage. Additional features include central air conditioning and a washer/dryer.

Steph walked in admiring the beauty of the apartment. "Why didn't you two live here?" she asked Rory as she looked around the master bathroom.

"Ace always said he preferred my place. He was having it renovated this past year when my mom was sick and died and he moved in with me. We got comfortable in my place and he would sell it, so we could get a bigger place."

"Oh," Just then they heard a knock at their door. Rory opened it. It was Marty and Colin carrying boxes and behind them there was a moving group that had the large wardrobe boxes and other items to help them pack and move.

"Hi," Marty said looking at her.

"Hi Rory, where's Steph?" Colin asked her as he quickly kissed her cheek and walked in. He placed the boxes in the hallway and walked toward the bedroom where Steph was looking around. The moving men followed Colin into the bedroom where Steph told them what to pack and what to keep there.

"I'm sorry Marty," Rory began but he quickly interrupted her.

"No, no that's ok. I stopped by your place and I saw Logan with you last night. I understand, I guess you still have feelings for him."

"No, NO! It isn't like that he stopped by at the studio when I was leaving and took me out to dinner. That's all."

"Ok, whatever you say, Rory."

He put the boxes down and walked around and looked at the apartment. Looking around Marty found the workmanship impressive.

"Why didn't you live here?" he asked.

"He was having this place renovated and we were going back and forth to Stars Hollow, and then when my mother died, he moved in and …" she cried.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to him, "Princess, please don't cry. I'm here."

Crying harder she looked at him, "No you will leave just like everyone else leaves me. I will be all alone. "

He lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her over to the sectional couch. Sitting her on his lap he cradled her in his arms.

"Rory, look at me. Please?"

Rory looked up at him with tears flowing out of her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. She immediately put her arms around his neck and pulled him into her and kissed him back.

"Marty, I am so broken. I don't know what to do? I have such strong feelings for you, but I feel like I am cheating on Ace."

"Rory, you are not cheating on Ace. I understand, and I am not trying to take his place. I might get jealous, but I want you to take your time. I want you to want this relationship with me. I want you to someday be my wife."

She leaned back and looked at him. This reminded her of how her mother and Luke had been, but Luke never told her, until they fought. Was this what Jess and Paris were telling her? To look what was in front of her. He has been here the whole time.

"Marty, I"

"Sh, don't say it until you are ready." and he kissed her, and she opened her mouth to let his tongue slide in. Their tongues caressed each other, and they were both breathless when she pulled away.

Kissing her nose, he says, "Come on, let's pack things up for storage and the sooner we get this done, the sooner the four of us can have a picnic on my rooftop terrace at my apartment building."

She gives him one more kiss and said to him, "Are we ok?"

"Yes, better than ok, and he kissed her again."

Colin and Marty went into the bathrooms and cleaned out the personal items that belonged to Ace. Steph decided it would be better to stage the house keeping the furniture and paintings up and then when she sells it they can go back and remove the items. Rory and Steph went into the closets and pulled out his clothes. Rory handed them to Steph and Steph put them in the wardrobe boxes that the moving men had left for them in the room. The moving men went into the kitchen with a list of items that Steph had asked them to pack. As Steph was reaching the top shelves in the closet her hand felt a box. She called for Marty to come in. Marty looked up and there was another locked box and also some more notebooks.

"Rory, do you know what these are for?" he asked.

"No, I never saw them before, why?"

"Because I found one like this in your bedroom closet when we were cleaning. Hey Colin, do you want to come in here, please?"

"What's up?" Colin asked when he walked into the bedroom.

"Look at these notebooks and box. I found one in Rory's apartment. Do you think we should bring them to the office and look at them?"

"Would you mind, Rory? There might be documents inside it," Colin asked her.

"No go ahead, I would just put them away. Maybe his parents might want them," she told them.

They continued for another hour going through the apartment packing items and clothing. They didn't go to the large locked closet. Steph thought that they would check that later. Next week Steph would come over with the cleaning crew that she hired and do a thorough cleaning. Then she would be able to show it.

The two couples followed the moving men out of the building and then they all drove to the storage unit that Colin and Marty had rented to store all Ace's belongings. Colin and Marty took the black notebook and also the box with them.

They went back to Marty's apartment. He had ordered food at the Eataly along with a picnic basket. He had thought it would be fun to have a romantic picnic on the roof but when Colin and Steph had told them about the packing he decided he might feel more comfortable if he wasn't alone with Rory right now. It hurt him when he saw her with Logan, on the Waterfront last night. He saw her standing with her back to the water and Logan appeared to be walking towards her reaching for her arms. It was at that point that he could not watch anymore, and he stormed away.

They walked into his large apartment and he went into his kitchen and put things in the cooler and picnic basket. Rory walked around the bar and asked if he needed help.

She grinned at him, "Well, Mr. Knight, you are prepared"

"I saw this at Eatly when we were there, so I ordered it and had it delivered. Do you like it? I thought it might come in handy."

Smiling she said, "It is a nice picnic basket. Do you have any red vines, mallow bars, marshmallows in here?"

He laughed, "No Miss Gilmore nothing like that, why are you having one of your Gilmore Girl cravings?"

She giggled and whispered, "Maybe."

"How about you help me fill the cooler. I have Angus beef patties, I have a traditional Antipasto to put in here for us, the Mesclun Goat Cheese Salad, and a Pasta Salad. Put all those on top of the ice and here is the beer, and sparkling cider and some bottles of ice tea for you and Steph."

In the meantime, he was adding the rolls and condiments into this huge picnic basket. Without her looking he put in the cooler a container of chocolate dipped strawberries, and a box of brownies.

"Ok I think that's it. Colin do you want to grab those two blankets I have laid out on the couch."

Colin came over and took the cooler that was on wheels. The girls carried the blankets and Marty took the basket. They all headed to the elevator and went to the Sunroof terrace.

This was a beautiful place with tables, plants, trees and grills. Marty walked over to the grill area and the wet bar and he and Colin set things up. The girls found some chaise lounges and put their blankets on them and then found a table with four chairs nearby. Rory walked over to the picnic basket and smiled. They were all standing around the wet bar, Marty came beside her and pulled her into his side. They had put out cheese and crackers, some hummus and vegetables and beer for the guys. Marty had put out the Antipasta so that they could snack on that before they ate. Marty pulled out the sparkling cider for Rory and Steph. They talked and laughed. Soon Marty and Colin started the grill and the girls went to sit on the chaise with their sparkling cider.

"Steph when you went through the bedroom did you or Colin come across his laptop?" she asked her best friend.

"No, now that you mentioned it I didn't. Maybe it's in that locked closet we didn't open. Why?"

"Well I found 5 scan disks along with the notebooks. I know he took the laptop with him. I will have to ask Colin if it was returned with his other belongings."

At the grill Marty and Colin were also discussing the notebooks that were found.

"Colin, the other day I was looking through those black notebooks that I found in Rory's apartment. Ace wrote them in French. When I mentioned it to Rory, she wondered if Ace didn't trust her."

"Well Steph speaks and writes French maybe she can help us translate them," Colin answered.

"Let's bring it up while we are eating."

"Girls, do you want to set up the salads the meat is already," Colin shouted to the girls who looked like they were both asleep in the sun.

"Sure, come on Steph." as she nudged her best friend who had fallen asleep.

"Oh, ok."

Colin walked over to Steph and kissed her forehead to get her up. Rory got up and walked over to the grill. She put her arms around Marty's waist and rested her head on his back. Feeling her arms around his waist, Marty turned around in her arms and looked at her.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he answered.

"For planning this, picnic."

He smiled at her and pulled her in for a kiss. "Come let's get you two fed."

She went to the cooler and pulled out the salads and put them on the wet bar. She pulled out the rolls and condiments and set them out. Marty brought the burgers over. They filled their plates and sat down ate and talked. Marty brought up the black books and asked Rory if she spoke French.

"Except for his terms of endearments, no. I only picked up a few words from Ace. Why?"

"Well I think we need to have someone interpret those notebooks. I think they might be a story he was working on or hold information about documents he might have had."

"Oh, Steph do you speak French?"

"Yes, that's all we spoke the two years I was away at that French boarding school."

"Could you do it for me?" Rory asked.

"Sure," Steph said.

They sat around the table ate the brownies and talked till the moon came out. It was getting late and Steph and Colin wanted to get back to their apartment. They cleaned everything up and went downstairs to Marty's apartment. Marty and Rory walked them to the elevator and said goodbye.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

They went back into his apartment and loaded the dishwasher and put the leftover food away.

"You had enough food for an army tonight," she said smiling up at him.

"Well I had two baby mama's that needed sustenance," he chuckled.

She giggled and put her arms up around his neck and leaning into him she kissed him.

He took her hands and led her to the couch. They sat together shoulder to shoulder holding hands. He played with her fingers.

"Ror?" he said.

"Yes," she responded.

"Can we talk about what happened the other day?" he asked her.

"I guess."

"I want to know what is going on with you and Logan."

Playing with his fingers she looked at him and sighed.

"Marty there is nothing going on. I had lunch with him the day of the doctor's appointment. Finn came and took me to the doctors when Steph and Jess couldn't go with me."

"Why didn't you ask me to go?" he asked searching her eyes.

Looking back in those dark eyes she replied, "I was going to, but Steph told me that you and she were going to look at apartments for your sister. So, I knew you were busy."

"Yes, I'm sorry but if you had asked I would have changed that appointment with Steph. You are my number one priority," Marty answered.

She closed her eyes and put her head against the back of the couch trying to hold her tears back. She wanted to be strong.

"You haven't explained about Logan, what's going on?"

"There is nothing between me and Logan. We are trying to move on and just be friends."

"Does Logan understand that?"

"I hope so, I try to avoid anything that he would misunderstand."

"Rory, I saw you two on the waterfront, he looked like he was going to kiss you."

"But he didn't. I turned away. You are the only one I kissed, well except for Finn and Jess."

"What? You kissed Finn and Jess?"

"Marty, it wasn't like that. Jess kissed me like he always does at the event when we talked about his new book. Then Finn kissed me in excitement when he saw the Ultrasound."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, ask them both. They love me like I'm their sister. Not how I love you."

Without thinking she verbalized her feelings towards Marty.

Marty looked at her and asked, "Rory, what did you say?"

Putting her hand on his face she said, "Jess and Paris both told me to look in front of me and that you were right here. I know now it was you in my dreams singing to me and reaching for me."

"Rory, Princess what dream?"

"I had a dream that I was at the Four Seasons again and I heard the song Moon River. I was dressed like Audrey Hepburn. Jess wanted me to go with him on a bus to California, and Logan wanted me to dance and they were pulling me. Then you came out on stage, but I could not see your face, but I heard your voice singing, " **In Case You Didn't Know."** You then said, _Don't listen to them, I am here Princess._ You reached out to me and then your hand disappeared. I realized that it was you in my dreams. I... I'm falling in love with you. You're it - the missing piece, the person I need in my life. You're my missing piece."

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she replied looking at his dark eyes.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her. She kissed him feeling the desire for him that she had been trying to hide from herself. He responded and gently pushed her back on the couch. Lying beside her, he gently caressed her face.

"Ror, when the words of the song go,

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **Baby I'm crazy bout you**_

 _ **And I would**_ _ **be lying**_ _ **if I said**_

 _ **That I could live this life without you**_

 _ **Even though I don't tell you all the time**_

 _ **You had my heart a long long time ago**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

That describes how I have felt about you for a long time. And when we kissed at Steph and Colin's, I knew it was real. I could feel it. "

"Marty, I felt it too, it was a spark. I never felt it before with anyone else."

Then he sang to her,

" _ **The way you look tonight**_

 _ **That second glass of wine**_

 _ **That did it, mmm**_

 _ **There was something bout that kiss**_

 _ **Girl it did me in**_

 _ **Got me thinking**_

 _ **I'm thinking**_

 _ **All of the things that I've been feeling**_

 _ **Mmm, it's time you hear em**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **Baby I'm crazy bout you**_

 _ **And I would**_ _ **be lying**_ _ **if I said**_

 _ **That I could live this life without you**_

 _ **Even though I don't tell you all the time**_

 _ **You had my heart a long long time ago**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **You've got all of me**_

 _ **I belong to you**_

 _ **Yeah, you're my everything**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **I'm crazy bout you**_

 _ **I would**_ _ **be lying**_ _ **if I said**_

 _ **That I could live this life without you**_

 _ **Even though I don't tell you all the time**_

 _ **You had my heart a long long time ago**_

 _ **Yeah, you had my heart a long long time ago, mmm**_

 _ **In case you didn't know, know, know**_

 _ **In case you didn't know "**_

"Rory," pulling her close to him he kissed her deeply. He trailed his kisses down her neck. He lifted the t-shirt she was wearing and caressed her breast. She gasped as he bent down and kissed her sensitive breast.

"Marty," she gasped, "I need you." She reached for his pants and unbuttoned them. She slowly undid the zipper and reached inside feeling his arousal underneath his silk boxers.

Pulling the shirt off over her head he tossed it on the floor. He traced her nipples with his tongue. She felt her body become inflamed. Lifting her he carried her into his bedroom and put her on his bed.

"Rory, are you sure you want to do this?" he moaned.

Her eyes grew darker with desire. "I'm ready if you are," she whispered.

They slowly undressed each other, relishing the feel of this newfound intimacy.

"You're so beautiful, Rory." he whispered, pulling her closer to him. He leaned in and kissed her again as he ran his hands down her curves.

Rory kissed down his neck and kissed his muscular chest. Rory bit her lip as she took in his muscular, toned body. He was gorgeous. She continued to kiss his chest, and wrapping her arms around him she grabbed his toned back feeling his muscles.

"Marty," she moaned as he caressed her body. She rolled over and pulled him on top of her, loving the feel of the weight of his body on hers. "Please, I need you."

"God, Rory. I love you so much. Say nothing - you don't have to. I need you to know how I feel," he whispered.

She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer and he almost came undone. He was about to make love to the woman he had loved since college. He bent and kissed her on the forehead and closed his eyes at the feeling of being inside her.

Rory turned her head and kissed the inside of his arm, completely overwhelmed by what she was feeling emotionally and physically. She felt warm tears on her cheeks.

"Are you okay, Rory?" he asked in concern.

"I'm perfect. It's just... it's so perfect, Marty. It feels right - like we belong together," she whispered, pulling him closer as she needed to feel him as close to her as possible.

"That's because we belong together, Rory," he said with a smile.

He lowered himself down to her and wrapped his arms around her as he continued to make love to her.

"God, I love you, Rory."

"Marty, I love you. Je veux être avec toi pour toujours."

That's the most amazing thing I've ever heard," he whispered as she moaned in pleasure. "Or maybe that is," he chuckled.

"Shut up and make love to me," Rory replied with a laugh.

"Whatever you want," he whispered as they continued exploring each other and reveling in the intensity of their intimacy.

Finally, both satisfied, they fell into each other's arms as their breathing returned to normal. Cuddling in his arms she thought about what she said to him.

She doesn't regret it, but she whispers, "Marty, are we moving too fast?"

"Are you having doubts about how you feel about us?" he asked her.

"No but it hasn't been that long. I feel that we belong together, but then I am afraid…" just then her phone rang.

She looked at the number and smiled. It was her father. She hadn't heard from him since Ace's memorial. She laid back in the crook of his arm as Marty continued to play with her hair. She answered her phone.

"Hi Dad, this is a nice surprise. How are you and how is Gigi?"

"Hi Ror, we are fine, in fact we will arrive in JFK tomorrow morning. We are returning to Hartford and Gigi will attend Chilton in the fall."

"Dad this is sudden. Can we pick you up? Do you want to stay at my place?" she asked. Her couch was a pull out and she and Gigi could share her bed and her dad could sleep on the couch.

"That would be great Rory, our plane arrives at 11:10 am."

"Ok see you then and say hi to Gigi for me." Rory ended the call. "Well you get to meet my dad tomorrow."

Marty looked at her and wondered if there was more going on. He remembered she talked about her dad never being around much. Maybe that is why she is always afraid to make a commitment.

Marty and Rory arrived at terminal seven at eleven o'clock. Rory was nervous about their arrival. She would wait to tell them about the baby when they were alone. The arrival board announced their plane arrival and soon they saw people walking out of the gate. She noticed her dad and sister, she ran to the door and Gigi came running into her arms. Gigi was now thirteen with long blond hair and she appeared more sophisticated than she was at her age.

"Gigi, you look beautiful, and you have grown up so much," Rory told her as she gave her a big hug. Marty was standing behind Rory and noticed that the sisters were the same height. Gigi was attractive but did not possess the mesmerizing eyes as her older sister.

"Dad, I've missed you." she gave him a big hug and felt her words choke in her throat.

"Hey kiddo, you are glowing. I am glad you look so good." Chris replied her hugging her back.

"Dad, Gigi, this is Marty, Martin Knight." she said introducing them.

"Nice to meet both of you," Marty said shaking both Christopher's hand and Gigi's hand.

"Marty, Martin Knight…. Rory that names sounds familiar, didn't you know a Marty at Yale? You used to talk about him a lot when you first went," Chris said.

"Yes, this is the same Marty," and before she could finish her sentence.

Christopher turned to him and said, "You're the naked guy that Rory met her Freshman year. Her grandparents and mother laughed about that for a long time."

Rory rolled her eyes, it's so typical for her father to bring something up like this to break the ice. Marty just laughed and put his arm around Rory's shoulder.

"Naked Guy. Yes, I guess I am. I must have made an impression on her," He smiled and gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Rory has told me how you have been a big help to her the last few months. Thank you for being here for her," Christopher said as he put out his hand to shake Marty's hand.

Shaking hands, Marty looked at Chris and with a smile he responded, "My pleasure, I told her that I would be here for her."

He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. Rory didn't blush. She liked the PDA with Marty and it didn't bother her anymore, she smiled up at him. They headed toward the baggage area. Christopher and Gigi shipped their belongings ahead to his mother's home in Hartford, so they both had one bag with their essential clothes. Francine Hayden was 85 and she was not in the best health. Chris decided he needed to be near his mother now and since Gigi no longer wanted to be in boarding school, he brought her back to Hartford and enrolled her in Chilton.

"So, Dad, how long will you be here?" Rory asked him.

"Didn't I mention it, Ror, we are moving back."

"Back, like in Boston?" she asked.

"No, kiddo, back to Hartford. Gigi and I decided that she didn't like boarding school and since you had such success at Chilton she wanted to go there. Grandma Francine isn't doing well, and I missed you too."

Rory's eyes teared up. Maybe she won't be alone like she thought. She will have her father and sister near her and now Marty. Then she thought of Ace and her mother and cried. Her sister was sitting beside her in the backseat as Marty drove them from the airport to her apartment. Gigi reached over to her sister and held her hand.

"Rory, what's wrong?" She asked her.

"Nothing, Gig, these are tears of happiness. I have missed you both so much that I didn't realize it. I am so glad that you are both back," Rory told her.

Gigi reached over and hugged her big sister.

Marty pulled up to Rory's apartment and Gigi and Rory got out. The girls walked to the elevator and got on while the men got their luggage. On the way to the 24th floor the elevator stopped at the Club Floor. Rory was talking to her sister and didn't notice the handsome man in a bathing suit with a towel around his neck get on until her sister poked her in the ribs.

"Gigi, what was that for?" she asked annoyed at her sister.

Suddenly the man turned around, "Rory?"

"Liam, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I am living here now," he mumbled.

"You do, that is wonderful. I like living here but I know that soon I will need to get a larger apartment. Oh, excuse me, Liam this is my younger sister, Gigi," she rambled.

"Enchanté" Gigi said putting out her hand as she had seen her mother do so many times before.

Liam raised his eyebrows at Rory, thirteen he limply shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you Gigi, is it?" smiling at her. He never would have guessed this gawky young lady with the bleach blond hair and too much make up was Rory's sister since Rory was a natural beauty.

"Oh, what button do you want me to push?" Rory asked him.

"Button? Oh floor, it's lit, no need to push anymore buttons."

She noticed that the only button lit was the 24th floor. She smiled at him and the three-exchanged small talk. The elevator bell pinged indicating that they had arrived at their floor. Liam stood aside, and Rory turned to the right and he turned to the left. They said goodbye and Rory walked to her door and opened it. Letting her sister go in first, she stood in the hall and watch Liam disappear.

Christopher and Marty arrived a few minutes later and they brought their overnight bags into Rory's bedroom. Since Chris had never been to her apartment before he looked around. He saw the picture of her and Ace by the television but also a picture of Rory and Marty dancing that she had put in a frame on her refrigerator, he also noticed the basket of seashells she had set on her coffee table.

Before they went to pick up Chris and Gigi, Rory had called Jess and Luke and asked them to meet them for lunch. She knew that Chris and Luke had put away their differences since her mom's death and since her memorial was coming up on Friday, she thought that it would be nice if they were together when she gave them the picture of the baby.

Glancing up at the clock, Marty said, "We better get going if we want to keep the reservations."

Arriving at the restaurant, Marty dropped them out front of the restaurant and he went to park the car in the parking lot. Rory told the hostess her name and she led them to a large table near the back. They were the first to arrive, as she was sitting down Marty, Luke, Jess and Cindy all walked in together. Chris stood up making the introductions and shaking Luke and Jess' hand.

"Gigi, the last time I saw you, you were 3 yrs. old." Luke said.

Gigi smiled she remembered going to Lorelai's that Christmas and staying with Rory in her bedroom. She loved having a sister around and she hoped that they could spend more time together now that she was moving back to Hartford.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves at lunch. Near the end of the lunch Rory reached into her tote that she was carrying and pulled out two large picture frames and a smaller one. She was glad that she could share this with both at the same time.

"Dad, Luke, Jess I have something for the three of you." she said as she handed them each a bag with tissue paper.

"Ror, what's this?" her dad asked. Gigi was sitting next her dad and was looking at it as he unwrapped the tissue paper.

"Rory is this a picture of a baby? Are you having a baby?" Gigi squealed as soon as Christopher unwrapped the tissue from the frame.

Luke had the biggest smile on his face. This picture was a 3d picture and you could see more detail than the first ultrasound she gave him 7 weeks ago.

"Rory this is amazing, look at the little hands and feet. Hey what's the arrow for, it wasn't in the last picture," Luke said.

Marty and Rory laughed. "Well look where the arrow is pointing, Luke," Rory told him.

Jess got up out of his seat and hugged her.

"You mean I missed this?! Damn, and I had to talk to my publisher. You're having a boy! Marty, we are having a boy!" And the two men high fived each other.

Rory laughed, "Guys, you're not having anything, I'm having it."

They all laughed. Chris came over to his daughter and they stood up and hugged each other.

"Are you ok, kiddo?" he asked as she hugged him as her tears fell again.

"Yes, but dad, I miss mom." Tears began to leak from her eyes.

"Oh Ror, I know we all miss her."

Marty, Jess, Cindy, Luke and Gigi sat quietly and watched the exchange of father and daughter. Luke was a little jealous because he was always there for Rory when Christopher wasn't. However, he knew that Rory thought of him more as her father than Christopher. The waitress came over with the check. Marty and Jess took it and split the bill not letting Rory or her fathers pay for any of it. They all said their goodbyes. Christopher told Luke that he would stop by Stars Hollow soon so they could catch up.

Luke shook his hand. "I would like that Chris," Luke said, as the two men reached in for a hug. Rory looked at Jess with amazement, and Jess smirked.

Leaning towards her he whispered, "Time and love can heal old wounds, Book Tease, remember that."

Hugging Jess goodbye she said, "Dodger, thanks for being my best friend. And you were right. He was right there all the time."

Jess gave her his crooked smile then kissed her on the cheek and then she hugged Cindy goodbye.

Marty, Chris, Gigi and Rory all returned to her apartment. When they returned, Gigi asked her father if she could use the pool. Chris looked at Rory. Rory wanted time alone with her dad but wasn't sure how to ask him. Marty noticing her hesitation offered to go with Gigi and use the health club while she swam. He also knew that Rory wanted time alone with her dad.

Gigi came out of Rory's apartment wearing a revealing bikini.

"Go back inside and put on a different bathing suit now, young lady." Christopher ordered. "And don't tell me you don't have one, because I know I bought you a one-piece bathing suit. This is not the south of France."

Rory laughed, and Marty smirked. Chris looked at the two of them.

"What's so funny, wait until you become a parent, Rory."

Rory blushed when he said that. She looked up. "I never heard you speak like that before," Rory admitted.

"Well Kiddo, you never gave me cause to talk like that. Your mom always handled that, and she raised you to be an amazing young woman," he told her as he hugged her.

Gigi came back out wearing a floral one-piece suit carrying a towel.

"Gigi, you need to wear a coverup or a t-shirt," Rory told her. She went stomping back into the room and pulled out her Christian Rose T-shirt and pulled it on.

"Now can I go to the pool?" Gigi asked sarcastically.

While Gigi went to change Marty went down to his car in the parking garage, to retrieve the gym bag he kept there. He entered the apartment and went into the bathroom and changed.

When he came out with his iPhone in his hand he said, "Ok let's go."

The two of them left and Chris looked at her. "So Ror, you're having a baby."

Rory sighed and sat down beside her father on her couch.

He looked at her and smiled. "That's great, is it Marty's?"

"No, it's Ace's. I didn't know I was pregnant when he left, it must have happened just before."

Christopher opened the bag again and took out the photo. Looking at it he looked back with tears in his eyes. He pulled her close and hugged her. "Oh kiddo, I'm here to help this time. I will babysit, I will teach him how to ride a motorcycle, heck I will buy him his first motorcycle. I promise I will be here for you."

Rory started to cry. He held her close to her stroking her hair. "Dad, I miss mom so much."

"It's ok, you will be fine. Hey, your mom raised you to be a strong independent woman."

"Dad can we go for a walk in the park?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered and the two of them walked out of the apartment and took the elevator to the Health Club level.

Rory walked in and found Marty. She told him that she and her dad were going for a walk in the Private Park. She will text him where they are so that they can meet them. Chris checked on Gigi. She was swimming with a few teenagers that she had just met a boy and 2 girls. Rory and Chris went down to the main floor and walked through the lobby to the Park entrance.

Walking together down the path, Rory told her dad about what had been going on the last few months including Logan.

"Dad, I have been having nightmares and dreams again. The nightmares are so real. I am looking for my son who is calling for me and Ace is watching me. I can't reach anyone."

"Can I ask you about your relationship with Marty?" Chris asked her.

"Marty and I are together. He told me he loves me. He wants to take care of me and my child. Dad, he feels right. But I am afraid, what if these feelings are just hormonal, is this too soon? Should I wait?"

Stopping at a bench they sat down. Rory wiped at her face as the tears fell.

"Ror, don't wait for the right time. If he feels right embrace it. I always waited, waited till I had a better job, waited till your mother was ready, waited till I had enough money to support you and your mother, and when I felt the time came, it was too late because your mother stopped waiting. Your mother was the love of my life. We should have been together forever. But I waited too long. Don't make the same mistakes we did."

Looking at him she nodded

"Hon, you know I only met Ace after your mother died and you two were traveling in Europe. I liked him. He was charismatic, good natured, and he appeared like he was in love with you. But he was bigger than life… he was bigger than you. When you were with him you were not your usual self, you were happy, but quieter. You let him make the decisions. He reminded me a little of Lorelai," he chuckled.

"What do you mean dad? Mom and Luke didn't like him at first either?"

"I'm not saying I didn't like him…. Ror do you believe in fate?"

"Sometimes, but are you saying that this was all happenstance? This was supposed to happen to me?"

"No, I say that sometimes life happens for a reason. Look at my life and your mother's. I wouldn't change what happened because it brought me to this place in my life. I have two beautiful daughters and soon I will have a grandson. If Marty loves you and you find that you love him then don't wait. Embrace him."

Rory looked at her father and leaned into him. He put his arm around her shoulder and held her close to him. He felt her cry and he let her. He never could hold Lorelai like this when she was pregnant, and now he hopes that Rory will let him play and active role in her and the baby's life.

"Hey, do you want to go back or have them meet at a restaurant near here?" he asked his daughter.

"Let's go back and we can order take out," she said.

The two of them walked back. He kept his arm around her as they walked back into the lobby. Marco the weekend doorman was there, and she introduced him to her dad. She also went over to security and added her father's name and Gigi's name to her approved visitors list. When they returned to her apartment, they notice that Gigi was in her t-shirt and designer sweatpants, drinking a soda and watching a movie while Marty was working on his laptop. She walked over to him and kissed him.

He looked at her puffy eyes and asked, "Is everything alright?"

She smiled, "It's perfect."

She kissed him again and then walked into the kitchen to get herself a bottle of water and 2 beers for Marty and her father. She moved her sister over and pulled her in for a hug and sat and watched the movie with her.

Chris and Marty looked at the two sisters and grinned. Then clinking their beer bottles together, they sat there getting to know each other. Christopher was impressed that he was in the same type of Law Practice that his father had left him. He knew that Straub would be proud of Rory and the choices she made. She was a strong young woman and he loved his daughter, and he too missed Lorelai.

 **A/N "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brice Young**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Rory was sitting in the busy newsroom going over her notes from the last meeting. Dan was promoted to the evening news desk as an anchor and asked her if she would join his team as the executive producer. Had she heard him correctly? He wanted her and Brie to be two members of his production team. For the last four years she had been working as the News Producer under Chris. This would be a big promotion with a raise and more benefits.

Dan came in and sat beside her desk, "Well will you join me and be the executive producer, Lois?"

"Dan, I am expecting a baby in January. Won't that cause a problem?"

"Not for me, and I don't think it would cause a problem for the company. Look your excellent at what you do, and I am sure another news company will offer you something soon. I am asking Brie to be the associate producer under you and she is bringing Marnie and Chad as her news writers."

He pushed his shoulder against hers and said, "Come on. You know you want to Lois. What a team we will be. A modern day Daily Planet on TV."

"Ok, Dan you convinced me. When do we start?" she asked.

"Um 20 minutes ago," he teased.

"What! We can't! I have to finish this for Chris, then I have to write the article for the next group and give the assignments," she rambled.

"Calm down Ror, I'm teasing. We officially start next week, but I want to meet with everyone tonight. Are you available to come back around 7 tonight?" he asked.

She looked at the clock, it was 4 now, she had time to go home, nap and come back. Marty was in the Hartford office for the next 4 days and he wasn't coming back to the city until Friday.

"Sure, I will go home now, take a nap and be back by 7:00. Just have Brie call me at 6:00 to make sure I am awake."

She picked up her purse, keys and left the newsroom. Returning to her apartment she ran into Liam as he was going into the elevator.

"Hi, Rory. Are you home for the evening? Is Marty going to be joining you soon?" He asked. He tried to make his questions friendly.

"Hi Liam. No Marty is away until Friday and I came home to rest before I go back to the newsroom at 7 pm. I thought I would get my suit on and swim and relax before I head back." Just then they arrived on their floor. He looked at her and smiled.

"You know that sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll see you down there. I would like to run on the treadmill for a while."

They said goodbye, and both turned to walk to their apartment. Thinking nothing of their conversation, Rory set the alarm on her cell phone for 5:45. She slipped on her bathing suit and looked at her belly. It was just popping out a little. She put her hand on it and smiled. She thought she felt something but decided it must be gas. She put on her lace cover up, grabbed her sunglasses, phone, and a newspaper and went down to the Health club floor. The pool was empty, and she thought this would be perfect. She could swim and get her exercise in and then rest before going back to the studio. Rory dove into the pool and swam laps. She let her mind relax thinking of a time when she did this daily with Ace. She thought of their son while she swam and wondered if he would have the dark hair like his fathers, his big brown eye, his smile, his laugh. She felt the tightness in her chest and slowed down her strokes. She rolled over on her back and floated for some time.

After running for 30 min. Liam went into the men's locker room and changed out of his running shorts into his bathing trunks. When he walked to the pool he saw her floating on her back. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She rolled over and did a few more laps. She was a strong swimmer. He dove into the lane beside hers. She stopped swimming and treaded water when she heard the splash. She didn't see him at first until he was halfway down his lane and surfaced continuing to do his laps. She swam to the side of the pool and pulled herself up. She climbed out of the pool and toweled herself. After a few laps he got out of the pool and sat beside her.

"You looked very relaxed out there floating, I hope I didn't surprise you when I dove in?" he laughed.

"No, I was just thinking," she responded and looked away from him. She placed her sunglasses on so that he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked reaching over and taking his hand into hers.

"It's silly. The doctor said I would get like this and I find I am spending most of my time crying these days," she whispered.

"Well come on let's go for a walk. I know that there is a bar around the corner and they will serve us dressed like this." He got up and took her hand. She put on her lace coverup and sandals and followed him. He punched the buttons for the 24th floor. He walked her to his apartment and went to the refrigerator and pulled out a sparkling water for her and a beer for him and put them on his bar. He pulled out a stool and told her to sit. He then grabbed vegetables he had in the crisper and cheese and crackers and put them on the counter with a bowl of grapes. He then walked on the other side of his bar and picked up his beer and clinking her water bottle he said cheers.

Rory laughed, "Liam, you are very subtle. If you wanted me to come, see your apartment all you had to do is ask."

"I never thought of that." he teased. "I enjoy playing the role of the bar tender. So, tell me a little bit more about the mysterious Rory Gilmore, that I don't already know."

"Hmm, well you know I dated Logan Huntzberger, I was engaged to Acelot Gerrard, I work at CBS. Oh, I was promoted today to be an executive producer for the evening newscast. That's why I have to return to the studio by seven tonight."

"Congratulations, that's a big accomplishment."

"Thanks.' she replied and looked down at her phone it was only 5:15, so she had time to sit and talk.

"So, tell me more about you… any girl friends, family, how do you know the Huntzbergers and do you know why Mitchum Huntzberger called me last week?"

She was direct with her question.

"Mitchum called you? What on earth for?" he questioned.

"He wanted to meet me for lunch. I was busy, so I couldn't attend the meeting. Plus, I have no intention to meet with him. Things never go right when I am with the Huntzbergers," she admitted.

"Huh, Well I have been in the news business for a long time. I worked for the Turners for the last 10 years and before that I was a newspaper journalist. I worked for the Post, Tribune, and a few smaller papers. Graduated from Yale in 2001. Met Logan at a LBD event in 2007, just after the two of you broke up. He spoke highly of you. I thought you were this mythical creature that he had made up. He was drunk at that event and told me the story of his "Ace" dressed in a blue gown and holding an umbrella jumping from a scaffold saying You Jump, I Jump Jack."

She looked at him stunned and surprised that Logan ever told a stranger about that. She didn't know what to say so she sat there and let him talk.

"That night we became friends. I was with my fiancé at the time and he said 'at least she said yes. I asked my _Ace_ to marry me. Shit she turned me down and she had every right to. I cheated on her, not once, but 4 times, and she never knew. But she turned me down telling me not now. When I told her now or never she left me!' I felt sorry for him, so I took him back to his tent and put him in his cot. His Aussie friend, Finn and the other one Colin, told me that they would take care of him."

"So, it's ten years later and now you find out that I am a real human being, you heard his side of the story. You're his business partner, and his friend." she said. Just then the alarm went off on her phone.

She looked at it and picked it up. "Well I have to go. Thanks for the water." She got off the stool and walked to the door. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

"I only told you this because I want to be honest with you. No secrets. Can we be friends?"

Giving him a weak smile she said, "Yeah, we can be friends. Thanks."

She opened his door and walked down the hallway to her apartment. She walked in and closed the door. Leaning on her door she wondered, what was that all about. Why was he telling her about Logan? She put her phone and purse down and went into her bathroom to get ready for the meeting.

Returning to her apartment after the meeting at ten pm she sat down and called Marty.

"Hey there. You are getting home late. Did you go out after work and have dinner? "he asked her.

"No, I was at a meeting tonight. I was promoted to Executive Producer for the evening news cast, Dan will be the anchor and he asked me to lead his team."

"Congratulations Ror, that is wonderful news." So, no more rotating shifts?

"That's correct, and I go in at nine and I will be home by five, six at the latest unless there is breaking news." she told him.

"I like those hours, we will have more time together. Hey Ror, I have to ask you a question?".

"Oh, okay."

"Well remember Steph told you that I was looking for an apartment for my sister? Well she is moving here from Hawaii and my parents are coming up too when she arrives. I want you to meet them. I want everyone to know that we are together. Will you come and meet them in 2 weeks?"

"Yes, and it is only fair since I made you meet my dad. Marty, I am going to Stars Hollow on Thursday afternoon. I want to stop by the cemetery in Hartford on Friday morning. What time were you planning on returning to the city?"

"Would you like me to go to the cemetery with you on Friday? We can stay here at my townhouse in Hartford if you want."

"Yes, I think I would like you to join me at the cemetery on Friday. Marty... I miss you."

"I miss you too Princess, why don't you put on some music and try to sleep, Okay?"

"Okay, I will. Good night."

"Good night and Rory I Love You," he told her.

"I love you too, Marty." She ended her call and was surprised when her phone rang right after she finished speaking with Marty. It was Steph.

"Hi Steph, you're calling late. Is everything ok?"

"Hi Rory, Yes I didn't have time to tell you earlier that I went to Ace's apartment today and I did a walk through. I stopped by at the lobby desk and they had been keeping his mail. I don't understand why they didn't give it to us when we were there. But there was a different person on duty this time. So, I brought it back here and have it for you."

"Oh, okay, I guess. Is there anything important? Do you think I should give it his parent when I see them this weekend?" she asked her.

"I am not sure. He has letters here, one is from a Bouchard, it looks like a card."

"When do you plan on showing his apartment?"

"I have some agents interested in showing it, so I would say by the end of the month you might have a serious offer," Steph told her.

"Oh, that would be great."

"Well I will say goodbye. I can't believe how tired I am getting," Steph complained to Rory.

Laughing Rory said, "Tell me about it. I have nodded off at my desk at the newsroom. And not being able to have coffee is terrible. Good night Steph"

"Good night Rory and I will see you tomorrow."

Ending the call, Rory looked out her window. It was a beautiful night and she knew she would get a better view of the moon over the river if she went upstairs to the rooftop terrace. Grabbing a sweater, her phone and the afghan, that she kept on her couch, she took the elevator to the terrace. It was a beautiful place to go and the staff kept it well lit. She found a chaise not far from the doorway and sat down. She looked up at the sky and talked to Ace.

" _My darling I hope you can hear me. We are having a boy. I so wish you were here. I promise to teach him French and he will see your parents often. I got a promotion today… I am an executive producer…."_

Rory continued to talk to him not knowing that Liam was sitting reading on his kindle not far from where she was sitting. He listened to her conversation. He felt sad for her and decided to let her know that she was not up there alone. He dropped his beer can that he was drinking from.

Startled Rory said, "Oh, Who's there?"

"Rory is that you? It's me Liam. I didn't mean to scare you I was reading, and I knocked over my beer can," he told her as he walked over to her chair.

"How did your meeting go tonight?" he asked her to notice how cute she looked in her denim dress and sweater wrapped in a multicolored blanket that someone must have made for her.

"It was long and productive. You know what the meetings can be like."

"Yes, I do, and to be honest I miss them. I can't wait until our station starts."

"Are you close to starting?" she asked.

"Well Logan purchased the space now we are holding interviews for the staff and the production team. We are also interviewing for anchors. You wouldn't be interested, would you?"

"No, in fact I was promoted at CBS as Executive Producer, and I like working there," she laughed.

"So, tell me what brought you up to the roof tonight?"

"Oh, I wasn't tired at all, so I came up to do stargazing. I feel closer to my mom and Ace when I am up here."

"Oh, I am sorry if I interrupted you, I will go."

"No wait, I could use the company. I sound like a crazy person talking to the sky and there is no one there to answer."

"So, tell me about your mom," he asked.

"Well she is or was my best friend. We were close, I miss her so much, especially now."

"Logan mentioned she passed away. He told me she was a very stunning woman. He said that she raised you away from Hartford, in a small town. Was that where your grandparents lived?"

"No, my grandparents lived in Hartford, in fact both my grandmothers are still there. Though my grandmother Gilmore has moved to Nantucket, her house in Hartford is still empty. She wanted me to have it but…"

"Too many memories?" he asked.

She smiled, "Yes a lot of memories."

"And your other grandmother?"

"Oh, Grandmother Hayden, yes in fact my father returned from England to live with her. She isn't well."

"Hayden, as in Straub Hayden? Christopher is your father?"

"Do you know my father?"

"Yes, I believe I met him a few times at some social functions this was about twelve years ago."

Yawning, she said, "Oh you must have met him when he first moved back to the East coast right after Gigi was born, he was with Sherry then." Yawning again she said, "Excuse me, I guess I am tired." She got up from her chaise and he stood too.

They both walked to the elevator and took it down to the twenty fourth floor. He walked her to her apartment door.

"Well, goodnight," he said as he took the key from her and opened her door.  
"I will see you around."

"Goodnight Liam and thanks for keeping me company." She walked into her apartment.

Rory was busy for the next few days. She was training two interns to take over Brie's job and her own, while still writing the news stories for the morning news. Wednesday after work, they all met at the Hamilton for drinks and food to say goodbye to their old production team. Brie, Dan, Annie, Marnie, Neil, Chad and Dylan were all excited to be working together. Rory looked at her new team and smiled, she felt like a mother with her kids. Dan came over and sat beside her and grinned.

Rory felt her phone ring and smiling at her friends she told them that she was going outside to take it. Looking at the screen she smiled when she saw it was from Steph.

"Hi girlie," Rory answered, "How are you feeling?"

"Hey yourself, are you free? I miss Colin, he is at some big client dinner meeting and I am stuck here alone," Steph groaned.

"Well I am at the Hamilton with Brie Williams and Dan Sheppard, why don't you get into a taxi and join us?" Rory suggested.

"Sounds good I can be there in about 30 minutes."

"See you then," and she turned off her phone and walked back into the bar where Brie and Dan were.

Dan stood up and pulled out the chair for Rory before he sat back down.

"Quite the gentleman," Rory teased. "Your mother raised you right. I hope you're not doing that because I'm pregnant."

"You could say that or the nanny." he mumbled.

"What, wait your telling me you are another one of those people?" she exclaimed teasing him.

"Those people, if you mean my parents are rich and the answer is yes." he replied.

"I went away with you for a week and how come this never came up before? How did you become so down to earth?" Brie asked.

Being in the news business she often met many young wealthy men. Like Rory she wasn't raised with money and often became turned off by their behavior that the world owed them a favor.

"So, who are you really, Dan Sheppard?" Brie asked pretending that she was interviewing him.

"Well I am Dan Sheppard, foreign correspondent, journalist and now TV anchor for the evening news," he reassured them.

The waitress came over with the cheese board and the Ricotta that they had ordered to snack on. Just then Steph walked in, kissing Rory on her cheek and she sat at the empty seat. Steph told the waitress that she wanted a club soda.

"Hello everyone," she said, "So what have I missed?"

"Well Dan was telling us all about his family," Brie teased.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "It's nothing. My parents are Derek and Addison Sheppard."

"Wait, the neurosurgeon? He is famous on both the east and the west coast. Don't they have a hospital named after him? And I heard that she is an infertility specialist," Steph said.

"Yes, and no they don't have a hospital named after them, just two wings at Boston General," he added embarrassed.

"Oh," Rory said taking his hand and squeezing it. He smiled at her and knew that there was a reason he liked her.

"Well if it makes you feel any better I have a building named after me at Yale, and a Maternity wing at Hartford General Hospital. It was named after my great grandmother, but I have the same name," she said to him. They all laughed.

"A building at Yale? Well I am impressed. But you don't act like you come from money either," Dan said.

"Well that will be our dirty little secret," she told him, and the group laughed.

"Well Lois, I think we have a good production crew. Are you ready to earn some awards for our team?" he teased.

"Yes, Clark, I am. Are you sure you want a hormonal pregnant lady in charge of this team?"

Reaching for her he gave her a hug. "Rory, yes I want you on my team. From the moment I met you I knew we would make a great team. I trust you and I will be there if you have crazy cravings. Brie will bring you Kleenex for the emotional outburst, and Neil will video tape everything, so your son will see his crazy wonderful mother in action."

Laughing, she hugged him back.

"Steph are you ready to go?"

"I got a text from Colin and he is coming down here, so I will wait for him. Sleep tight girlie," she said as she hugged her best friend.

"Now can you do me a favor, Dan and call me a cab?" she asked him.

"No, I will do one better, I will escort you home," picking up his phone he pressed the Uber app and requested a car.

"Thank you, but it isn't necessary," she told him as she gathered her coat and purse.

"It is and it's too late, the car is here."

Saying goodnight to their new team the pair left. He opened the car door for her and she slid in. He double checked with the driver to make sure he had the correct address and they sat back and relaxed.

Taking her hand and looking at her in the car he asked, "You have a long weekend, any plans?"

"Well I am going back to Hartford and Stars Hollow. My father and sister have returned from England, so I will spend time with them and visit the cemetery."

"I thought that Ace's remains are in France?" he said.

"They are but my mother is there, and Friday is the anniversary of her death," she whispered.

"Is Marty going to be there?" he asked.

"Yes, he has been working all week in Hartford and I will be with him tomorrow evening. He is planning on going with me to the cemetery on Friday. Dan, I won't be alone, you don't need to worry about me," she said smiling at him.

The car pulled up in front of her building, he asked the driver to wait while he walked her into the lobby. Hugging her goodbye, he left her in front of her elevator. As Rory went to get on the elevator she heard someone yell, hold the elevator. It was Liam rushing to get on. He looked like he was returning from a business meeting.

"Thanks," he told her as he entered the elevator.

"You're working late," she said.

"Yes, we finished dinner and drinks at Delmonico's. Mitchum had some clients he wanted Logan to meet from France. I left early and didn't stay for the after-dinner drinking," he explained.

The elevator stopped at their floor and they both got out. She looked at him and asked,

"Would you like some coffee or a drink? I was just going to make a cup of tea."

"Well I don't want to impose," he replied

"You're not imposing," she smiled.

"Okay, let me change and get out of my business suit and I will come over."

"Great, see you soon," she smiled and entered her apartment.

Mitchum and Logan were sitting at the bar at the Delmonico sipping their drinks. Liam had left early. Logan understood why. After Liam's fiancé was killed he drank for 2 years. When he came close to losing his job and his life he sobered up. He now limits his intake of alcohol to 1 or two drinks and only drinking bourbon, then he switches his drink to sparkling water.

The French businessman that Mitchum wanted Logan to meet was only a cover. He wanted an excuse to sit and talk with his son. It worked, he was proud of his son and how he had changed his life around, but he knew he wasn't happy. He was worried about the legacy that he was supposed to leave him. He was having some financial problems.

When Logan told his dad that he wanted to have his own company he was surprised how quickly that Logan moved and got financial backing. He thought Logan was happy in London. He always had a beautiful model on his arms. He even became engaged. When that didn't work out he then realized that Logan had lost his zest for life. So, when he wanted to return to the US and open his own production company and cable news he decided to let him, but keep him close by insisting that he use the family apartment in the city and have his own office in HPG.

He was surprised when he returned to the states early upon hearing about the death of Ace Gerrard. He didn't realize that Logan new the young journalist, but upon attending the memorial he understood why. Rory Gilmore, she had entered their life again.

"Logan, tell me about the studio that you found in Queens," Mitchum said as he relaxed in his chair at the bar.

"Well Liam and I agreed the space was great, a lot of room for expansion. We have a lease agreement that we can purchase the property in 5 years if everything goes right. We are now interviewing for the production team."

"Have you thought about dating and getting back with Rory Gilmore?"

"Dad, what do you mean? Why are you so interested in Rory? You had nothing to do with her when we dated 12 years ago. In fact you and mother did everything in your power to make her feel unwanted."

"Logan, I have been watching her since you two broke up. I know you met her parents and grandparents Richard and Emily Gilmore before. But have you ever met her father?"

"Yes, I met her father a few times, Chris is a very nice man. In fact, he married Lorelai for a short while, but it didn't last a year. What does that have to do with anything."

"Oh nothing, but as I was saying did you know that Rory worked for a small NBC television station as an intern after she completed her time as a reporter on the Obama campaign."

"No, I didn't. I lost track of her, I was following her articles but then she stopped publishing pieces."

"Had you wondered how she was hired as a CBS producer? I did. Miss Gilmore caught the attention of a NBC producer. When he left to go to CBS, he took her with him. It was soon after that she met Ace Gerrard. I hear that they met at the correspondent luncheon in DC."

"That I know. Why are you telling me all that, Dad? Rory and I are friends now. She is going through a tough time. According to Finn and Colin she lost her grandfather, then her mother within a year of each other, and now her fiancé."

"Think about this, she would be the perfect partner to take HPG and your new venture to the future. You know Logan I am 66 now, I would like to retire in 6 years. I want to see grandchildren from you."

"Dad, yes I am still in love with Rory and I don't know if I will ever stop loving her, but she has changed. We might be better as friends for now. Plus, she is pregnant with Ace's child."

"Don't worry about that, the child can always be sent away to boarding school once you have your own. Did you know her grandfather was Straub Hayden? Francine is not well, and I remember Colin's father once told me that the oldest Hayden grandchild will inherit the family fortune once she dies."

"Dad, this is low even for you. I don't have to listen to this. First Rory would never agree to send her child or any child to a boarding school. She was not brought up that way. Plus, Rory would only marry for love. I might love her, but she no longer loves me. I am not going to listen to this nonsense anymore. Good night."

Logan slammed his drink on the table and stormed out of the restaurant. He had enough of his father tonight and his behind the scenes dealings. He needs to find out the real reason Mitchum is interested in the Hayden money and why the change of interest in Rory.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Rory went into her kitchen, filling the tea kettle she put it on the stove, she then went into her bedroom changing out of her dress and into her leggings and new Maternity top. Walking out of her bedroom and back into the kitchen, she went to her cupboards and pulled out some glasses and mugs. She wasn't sure what Liam may want to drink so, she put out the scotch just in case he didn't want tea or coffee. Her phone rang, looking at it she saw it was Jess.

"Hi there Dodger. You're calling late. What's up?" she asked.

"Hey Doogie, I was just wondering if you were heading to Stars Hollow tomorrow and wanted a ride."

"Well I was going to Hartford tomorrow, but you can drop me off there. When were you thinking of leaving?" she asked.

"How does eleven o'clock sound?"

"That would be great Jess, I will be in the lobby waiting for you at eleven. See you tomorrow," she said as she hit the end button on her phone.

Just then she heard the buzzer on her door. She walked over and answered it. There was Liam with a box of bake goods.

"You didn't need to bring anything?" she said and laughed as he handed her the box.

"Well I would eat these cookies myself if I kept them at my apartment, so I thought I would share them with you." he smiled.

"Oh Macarons! You went to Francois Payard! We used to stop there often."

"Well I am glad you like Macarons. I bought them for our afternoon business meeting to have with coffee, but we had so much food I took them home. I admit I have a sweet tooth and then I have to work out twice as hard the next day."

"What would you like, coffee, tea, scotch?" she offered.

"Tea is fine." She filled his cup with boiling water and offered him his choice of tea bags. They sat down in her main room, he was on the chair and she went on her couch.

Looking at him she smiled. She was curious to know more about Liam, he told her how he met Logan last night, but she wanted to know more about him. Her journalistic instincts kicked in. She picked up a cookie and took a bite.

"OH Liam, this is so good. I have had nothing sweet in so long. Now I know before I leave tomorrow I will have to pick some Macarons up."

"You're leaving tomorrow? For work?"

"Oh no I am going to Hartford for the weekend. It's, umm," she turned her head not wanting to see her eyes fill with tears.

Liam put his mug down on the table by the chair he was sitting on and moved next to her on the couch. He took her hand and she turned and looked at him.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, just these hormones," she murmured.

"Are you sure?" he asked taking her hand and she turned her face to him.

"It's… well," Rory groaned, "this is so hard. I am going to the cemetery tomorrow."

"Oh," he whispered, and he pulled her to him and she put her head on his shoulder. She sat up and he placed his hand on top of hers and held her hands. She was very aware of his aftershave. It smelt like pine and woods.

"First anniversary?" he asked.

"Yes, how do you know?"

"Well I lost my fiancé about 3 years ago and the first year was the hardest."

"Oh, I am sorry, it's a year since my mom died. I don't even know how I will be next May when it comes around for the anniversary of Ace's death. Does it ever get easier?"

"Rory, give it time. For me moving here has helped. Friends help too." he said smiling at her.

They sat and talked for a while, and he tried to ease her feelings about tomorrow.

Looking down at his watch he said, "Well it's almost midnight. I have more meetings tomorrow. Thank you for the tea."

He stood up and walked toward the door.

"Thanks for the macarons, and Liam, thank you. If you ever want to talk?"

"Yes, and if you want to talk, I am here. Now good night." He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

She shut the door and leaned against it.

Rory put on her echo to her favorite playlist to help her sleep and relax. It was hard to fall asleep without having Marty beside her. So, she put on his Yale t-shirt that she loved sleeping in. The other day he left a t-shirt that he wore to work out in. She found it on the chair. Holding it to her chest and inhaling his scent she felt a keen sense of security. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.

 _She_ _found herself walking_ _on a misty street. She could hear voices but could not tell whose they were._

 _She then heard Kirk's voice, "Petal, come back here Petal."_

 _He was chasing the pig down the streets of Manhattan. She was standing in front of Rockefeller Center. Dan was interviewing people, and Kirk and the pig were running around him._

 _She had her headset on and she was standing next to Neil._

 _She spoke to Dan through her headset, "Ignore the crazy man chasing the pig, focus on Huntzbergers."_

 _She turned and saw Mitchum getting out a limo with Liza Morgan, Logan, and Liam. Dan was rushing toward him, trying to get and interview. Then she saw Ace. He was wearing his blue denim shirt and jeans. He smiled at her, then turned and shook Logan's hand._

" _She's yours now. Take care of little Ace." and then he disappeared._

 _She ran away, crying, "Ace don't leave me. I can't live without you. I need someone to help raise our baby."_

 _Ace turned and looked at her, "You will be ok, Mon Tresor. The man who will love you is out there._ _Je t'aime, mon amour. Je reviens vite,"_

Rory sat up from her dream. Her face was wet with her tears. She looked at the clock. It was only one am. She had only been asleep for an hour. She got up and went to the bathroom and ran water in her tub. She brought her phone with her and slipping into the tub she set her phone on the table near the tub. She leaned back and closed her eyes. All she could see was the image of Ace, wearing the denim shirt she gave him before he left. She picked up the phone and pressed the three.

The phone rang four times, then she heard a husky, "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm sorry I woke you."

"No that's ok, I told you to call me anytime. I am hear for you."

"Jess, I am having the nightmares again. It's like when my mother died."

"Ror, are you alone?"

"Yes, I am sitting in my tub."

"Rory, get out of the tub and get back to bed. I will be over in fifteen minutes," he told her.

"Thanks Jess." and she closed her phone. She got out of the tub and dried off. She put on her sweatpants, Marty's Yale t-shirt and Ace's Cornell sweat-shirt.

She heard her buzzer ring and in walked Jess and Cindy. She smiled at her friends and they hugged her.

"Thank you, Dodger, for coming, you two Cindy."

"We are here for you Rory. Now let me make you some hot chocolate," holding up the cocoa container and Cindy held up the bag of marshmallows.

"Cindy, you and Rory go get settled on the couch and pick out a movie, and no love story." he told her. "We have enough tears."

The girls settled on the HBO series, NETWORK and turned on episode one. He sat between the two girls and gave them their hot chocolate. Cindy fell asleep within 15 minutes of the show.

Muting the sound, he put his arm around Rory's shoulder, "Want to tell me what the dream was this time?"

She leaned her head on his shoulder as she told him about the dream. He rubbed her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"Hey, no one said this would be easy."

"I know, but am I moving too fast with Marty?"

"Rory, I can't answer that for you. But what does your heart say?"

"My heart is broken, but when I am with him I feel whole again."

"Then he is mending your heart."

Kissing Jess on the cheek she said, "Thank you Jess. Why don't you and Cindy sleep on the fold out couch."

He woke Cindy and the three of them made up her fold out couch for Cindy and Jess. She hugged them both goodnight. She returned to her and Marty's bed. Picking up her phone she sent him a message.

"Miss, you so much. Couldn't sleep so Jess and Cindy came over. See you tomorrow."

Jess and Rory left at noon to head to Hartford and Stars Hollow. Jess would drop Rory off at the cemetery and he would then go on to Stars Hollow to spend the weekend with Luke. Friday the family would gather at the cemetery. Emily would arrive later tonight, and she had planned that everyone was to meet at the grave sites of both Richard and Lorelai. When Jess had heard that Emily had made her request he decided that he would be there to give support to both Luke and Rory. Emily did not attend the memorial service for Ace. Rory felt relief when she didn't show up. All she ever heard from Emily was criticism of Ace.

Sitting in the car Jess and Rory talked about how she should tell Emily about the baby.

"Jess I don't know how to tell my grandmother about the baby."

"Ror, just tell her that she is having a great grandson. That should make her happy."

"I am not married, and she hated Ace, even though he was always kind to her. She would be kind to his face and then she would either pull me aside or call me on the phone and ask me why I was with a foreigner. Yes, she knew that French men were very suave and true he was intelligent and handsome, but why couldn't I marry an American."

"Now that is rich!" Jess laughed. "Ror she only liked one person you ever dated and that was Logan Huntzberger. So, I think you have much better taste than that. Has she met Marty yet?"

"She met Marty many years ago when we were at Yale. She and grandpa liked him."

"Is he going to join us at the cemetery tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'm not sure but I will ask him."

Jess adjusted his radio and they sat back and continued to talk during their ride to Hartford.

Walking into her kitchen in her home in Hartford, Steph laid the bundle of mail that she collected from Ace's apartment. What bothered her the most were two card envelopes that he received with the return address saying Bouchard. The address was from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. She remembered hearing that name mentioned at the "Event" that they had attended too. Turning to her refrigerator, she pulled out a yogurt and a bottle of water. She was lucky so far and hadn't felt sick. But she had these strange cravings for yogurt, ice cream, gelato and macaroni and cheese. She would ask Rory what cravings she was having lately. Just then she heard car doors slamming shut. She looked out of her picture window in the kitchen and saw that Jess and Rory had arrived. She opened the door and walked out to greet them.

"Just in time. I was just going to eat a snack," she told them. She hugged and kissed Jess on the check and then hugged Rory.

"Thanks Steph, nothing for me, I am leaving now and drive to Stars Hollow. I know tonight will be tough on Luke, so I want to get over there. Ok I will see you both tomorrow at the cemetery then." he then gave Steph another kiss on the cheek and hug.

Turning to Rory he said, "Ror it will be ok. I'll be there, Luke, Marty, Colin, Christopher, and Finn will be there. You won't have to face your grandmother alone." He kissed her goodbye and returned to his car and drove off.

Steph put her arm around Rory and grabbed her overnight bag that Jess had left by the door.

"Come on, let's have some yogurt, unless you want ice cream. We can go into the city and get some?"

"Since when do you eat ice cream, Steph?" Rory asked grinning.

"Since baby McCrae want's it all the time! That and macaroni and cheese! Rory, I will be as big as a whale by the time this little creature leaves my body." Steph exclaimed.

Looking at Rory she noticed that even at eighteen weeks pregnant you couldn't see a bump. She was so jealous. The two girls sat down ate their yogurt, drinking their water, and talking about how they were feeling and how tired they were.

"Ror, I went back into Ace's apartment and I collected his mail. I put it in this envelope there for you. I also found these two black journals. They look like the ones that we found," Steph explained showing her the two notebooks.

"Yes, they look, similar. They must be what he used when he was writing, he probably kept his notes in there for stories he was working on. I will put them with the other ones," she said.

Just then she heard her phone ring. She looked down and noticed that it was Ace's mother. Ace's mother had insisted that Rory call her Maman and they spoke weekly since his death. She loved to hear about Rory's job and her friends. Rory forgot the picture frame the she had bought for them with the 16-week ultrasound picture. She bought a frame for it and framed it for them. She also bought them a picture album and she filled it with pictures of herself through her pregnancy.

She answered the phone and walked into the front room.

"Maman, hello. How are you? I am sorry I haven't called you sooner."

"Oh no Rory, do not worry. I know that you are busy. But Papa and I have decided to come tomorrow to the cemetery to be with you and Luke. We are family and family need to be together." she said.

"Oh Maman, I don't know what to say?" Rory began to cry.

"Oh, mon cher, do not cry. We are leaving shortly and are staying at the Marriot in downtown Hartford. I will call you when we get in. Au Revoir."

She ended her call and walked back into the kitchen with Steph. Sitting down at the table she put her head down on her arms.

"What's wrong?" Steph asked.

"That was Ace's mother. She and his father are coming to be with us tomorrow at the cemetery. They will arrive tonight. I guess I better get another frame for the baby ultrasound and have a copy made for them. Since I left theirs in the city." she said.

"Steph, I don't know how to explain my relationship with Marty to them."

"What do you mean, relationship? Are you two together?"

"Yes, it happened the night we had the picnic on the roof. Steph, I told him I love him."

Steph squealed, "You did? That is wonderful. I knew you two would be perfect together."

"Steph do you mind if I borrow your car?"

"Sure. take the Acura because it looks like it might rain, and Colin doesn't like getting the BMW convertible wet."

Both girls laughed. Colin was obsessed with cars and after the car show his latest kick was purchasing vintage BMW's. She handed Rory the keys to the Acura and Rory headed to the baby store that was in downtown Hartford.

Rory stopped at Hanna Anderson. Walking into the Boutique Maternity shop she was amazed at the assortment of clothing that they had to offer at such reasonable prices., compared to the prices in the city. Looking around she found a black midi skirt that would be perfect for work, and a white long sleeve tee. She was walking around the store and thought about how she would have loved to be with Ace right now. Her mom would have encouraged her to buy the family pajamas. She knew Ace would have laughed, she wondered if Marty would embrace the idea of them all having matching pajamas. She found two books that she wanted. She bought the book Dream Animals for herself and Day Dreamers to give to Steph and Colin for their baby. She also purchased two stuffed animals, the small bashful puppy for her little boy and the small bashful bunny for Steph's baby.

After paying for her items she then went to Baby's R Us and picked up the Double Sonogram frame. She then stopped at a Walgreens and had a copy made of the Ultrasound that she carried to put in it for Maman and Papa. She found a gift bag and card.

Returning to the car she drove to the cemetery. She parked the car and got out and walked to her mother's and grandfather's grave site. The two plots were beside each other. Rory walked over and placed her hand on her grandfather's grave and then sitting between them she put her other hand on her mother's.

"Grandpa, Mom. I have something to tell you both. I am going to have a son," she whispered.

Placing her hands on her stomach she felt a flutter. As the tears began to leak from her eyes she continued, "Ace isn't with us now, he is with you. Mom, I wish you were here with me. I am so scared. Please tell Ace I love him. Grandpa please watch over us. "

She looked up to the sky and it began to rain. She felt the warm rain wash across her face. It mixed with her tears as she sat there and wept.

"Ace… I feel alone."

She sat there on the ground between the two grave sites crying. She let the rain flow over her face and opened her eyes. As she looked out she saw in the distance two men and a woman standing together. Slowly the rain stopped, and the sun came out. A rainbow appeared in the sky. She slowly went back to the car and opened the trunk looking for a blanket to put on the seat, so she didn't ruin it for Steph and Colin. She found a blanket in the back and she put it on the driver's seat. As tears still dripped down her face she drove back to their house. She parked the car in their garage. Steph, Colin and Marty were all sitting in the kitchen when she walked in. They looked at her in surprise when she walked in all wet and her leggings were all muddy.

Marty walked over to her gently pulling her in his arms he held her. Looking at Steph he said, "Steph I'm taking her into the shower to get her warm, she is shivering."

Steph nodded, Colin then went outside to retrieve the items that Rory had left in the car.

He looked at his wife when he returned with the items asking her, "Do you know what happened?"

Rory stood quietly as Marty slowly undressed her and put her in the shower. Then he undressed and joined her. He slowly let the warm water run over her, gently kissing her forehead as he washed the dirt off her hands and feet. He turned off the water and wrapped her in a towel and then wrapping a towel around himself, he lifted her and carried her into the guest bedroom. Pulling the blanket down he put her in and then laid beside her. He pulled her into his chest.

"Rory, Angel. What happened?" he asked.

Rory looked at him like she was coming out of a trance. "I went to the cemetery today to tell them about the baby. It began to rain… I saw them. I saw all three. They were together." He held her as she cried into his arms.

"Oh, baby I should have been there with you." He held her to his chest and kissed her forehead. "It's ok, I am here now. Close your eyes and rest."

She laid her head on his chest and just listening to his heartbeat she calmed down. "Maman called today. She and Papa will be here tomorrow to join the family at the cemetery."

"That is very kind of them."

"Yes, you will get to meet them. I hope they like you."

As she said those words tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Princess, it's ok."

He stroked her hair and gently kissed the top of her head.

Holding her in his arms he continued to stroke her arms.

Rory looked up at him, "Marty, I am frightened about being a mother. My mother isn't here to help me. What if Ace's parents want the baby and they don't want us to raise it? What if you don't like him?"

"Rory, I love you and I will love this little guy, because he is a part of you."

"But, this is another man's child. You will look at him and remember that I was his before I became yours."

"Rory, didn't we talk about how I fell in love with you when we were in school? And when we kissed that we knew it was forever?

"Yes, Oh Marty you make me feel complete when we are together but."

"Listen, I never told you that I was adopted. I know what it is like to be raised by another man. My birth father is my uncle. He died in Iran during Desert Storm. When I was three months old my mother married her brother in law Marcus Knight. He is my father, he is my hero and I wouldn't be the man I am today if he didn't come into my mother's life and love us."

Rory sat back and listened to him. Taking her hand in his he continued, "My parents sat me down and always told me how much they loved me. My uncle's pictures were in a special album for me. But my favorite pictures are the ones in my family album. My first Christmas with my parents, Marcus and Leah Knight, crying in my father's arms when I wouldn't sit on Santa's lap, sitting in my father's lap as I drove the family boat. Rory, I promise I will be there for every milestone, every chapter, every argument, every first if you will let me. I promise you that your child will become our child."

Rory cupped Marty's face in her hands and kissed him.

He pulled her face to his he kissed her. Putting his hand on her belly he lightly rubbed it and felt something.

"When's the last time you ate?"

"When I got here, I had a yogurt, that must have been two, why?"

"Do you feel like getting dressed?"

She nodded. He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom where he left his clothes. He dressed in his boxers and pants and walked out carrying his shirt.

Wrapped in the towel she got out of the bed. He found her suitcase and opened it, and she took out a clean sundress and put it on.

He put on his shirt and carrying his shoes, socks and jacket out of the room he waited for her in the kitchen. Steph and Colin looked at him.

"Is she ok?" They asked.

"Yeah, I'm bringing her back to my town house and get her some food. Colin could you grab her bags?" he asked as he sat down and put his shoes and socks on.

Rory walked out with her hair in a loose braid down her back. He carried her sandals and offered them to her. She slipped them on and she hugged Steph and Colin.

"Sorry about that. I am ok. I will talk to you both tomorrow. I am tired right now," she explained. She handed the bag with the book and the stuffed bunny in it.

"I bought this today for your baby, Steph."

Steph opened the bag and looked at the bunny and the book. With tears in her eyes she went and hugged Rory. The men looked on with concern on their faces. They hoped that tomorrow she would be able to hold up. Steph and Colin walked them to the car.

When they drove off Colin looked at Steph and said, "I am worried, Steph. She never took the time to grieve for Ace. Should we call Paris?"

"Let's wait until tomorrow. I will call her in the morning, and let her know what happened. I am sure she and Doyle will be here."

"Remember last time, it was Finn and Jess who helped her through her grandfather's death and then Finn and Jess helped her with her mothers. The nightmares were bad then. They were the only ones that were able to help her get through it," Colin said.

"You didn't mention to Logan about the memorial tomorrow, did you?"

"No, Steph I didn't. According to Marty she is having the nightmares again and this time Logan and his father are in them. I think Logan should keep his distance from her for a while."

Taking Steph by the hand he said, "Come on little Mama, let's get you something to eat." They both walked back into their home hoping that tomorrow will be uneventful for Rory.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

The next morning Rory awoke without nightmares, feeling relaxed and secure in Marty's arms. Rory had spoken to Ace's parents Adélaïde and Nicolai Gerrard, last evening. She told them that they would like to meet them for breakfast at the Marriott at 9:30. Papa, as she referred to him, told her he would make the reservations, and she asked him to make it for four. She knew she wanted to introduce them to Marty since she realized that he would be a major part of her life from now own. Kissing him tenderly on the lips, he smiled at her.

"Feeling better this morning?" he asked as he stroked her long hair.

"Yes, and thank you for being so understanding."

They laid there for a few more minutes when she lifted her head up and leaning on her side she said, "Marty do you believe in fate?"

"Yes, in some incident's I do? Why do you ask?"

"My father told me I should believe in fate. He said things happen in life for a reason. His conversation with me made me remember the morning I met you, at Yale."

Looking at her he smiled remembering that day.

"If you hadn't been drunk that night and fallen asleep in front of my room, we never would have met and become friends. Nor would we have met Colin, Finn or Logan."

Kissing her forehead, he said, "That's true, and if I hadn't been with you that night Logan came to take you out to dinner, I never would have known you had a crush on Logan. You never knew my feelings for you, did you?"

"Kissing him back on his cheek she admitted, "No, I wasn't great at reading the signals of a male's attraction. When I met you, I had only one boyfriend, Dean, and when he told me he loved me I freaked out. I ended up having an affair with him when he was married to Lindsay. Then there was a boy at Chilton and Jess, when the boy Chilton at kissed me I ran away. When I realized how much I cared for Jess, he left. It seems every man that says or shows me that they care for me I run from or they run from me."

Sitting up in bed he pulled her to him. "Ror, listen. It may seem that way. When you were dating Logan, I tried to move on by dating Lucy, but I never ran, and I don't think Ace was running away from you.

Rory looked at him and kissed his cheek, "I'm sorry that we wasted time."

"Rory, we didn't waste time. Lucy and I weren't right for each other and neither were you and Logan. We had to go through those relationships to get here."

"But..."

"Listen, yes, I believe that we are meant to be together. The incidents that brought us to this point do not matter. What matters is we are together now. Will we face obstacles in our life? Yes, but do you want to overcome them alone or together."

They kissed, and he said, "Can I ask you why your father asked you about fate?"

"He told me that if this feels right, then not to wait, not to wait for the obstacles to go away because when they do it might be too late. He wants me to be happy."

Looking at him with the love she felt for him she added, "You make me happy, Marty. I am falling in love with you."

Marty and Rory arrived at the Marriott. When they walked into the restaurant Rory gave the hostess the name the reservation was under. She led them to the table. Addie and Nick were already there. They both got up as soon as they saw Rory and the gentleman that she was with.

"Maman, Papa, I am happy to see you both," she said as she kissed them in the European style on both cheeks, "I want to introduce you to Martin Knight, my close friend."

"Marty this is Adélaïde and Nicolai Gerrard."

"Please call us Addie and Nick, Martin I am glad to meet you. Any friend of our Rory is a friend of ours," Nick said as he shook Marty's hand and Addie gave him an embrace and kiss on each cheek.

"Thank you and please call me Marty," he responded as he pulled out the chair for Rory.

Addie looked at Rory and smiled. "My dear you look ravishing, doesn't she Nick?"

"Yes, she does," and grabbing her hand he smiled, "My dear how are you doing? How are you feeling, you are not working too much are you?"

"Oh Papa, I am fine. In fact, I have something for you both." She reached for her large tote that she was using today as her purse and pulled out the gift bag for them.

"What is this?" Addie said with surprise.

"Open it, "Rory said.

Addie opened the bag and pulled out the frame. She looked at the frame and the picture, with tears in her eyes she said, "Rory, is this…" overcome with emotion she could not finish her questioned. She showed her husband and Nick smiled.

"Rory, this gift you are giving us…" he too could not finish his sentence.

Rory walked around the table and embraced them both. The three of them cried. She then whispered, "It's a boy, you will have a grandson in January."

They all smiled and cried hugging each other. Nick looked at the young women and said, "Thank you, this is the best gift we could ask for. We will help you."

Rory looked at these two-loving people and smiled. She felt lucky that fate had brought them together and turning to Marty she smiled. She knew now that there was a reason for her to have this baby. She now had more people in her life to call family. She returned to her seat and Marty again stood and pulled her chair out for her. Then he took her hand and held it.

Nicolai and Addie noticed that Marty held her hand. They both could tell right away that this man had strong feelings for Rory and that made them happy. They had been very worried about her when their son had died.

Nicolai, then ordered Mimosa's for himself, his wife and Marty and orange juice for Rory. They then talked. She told Nick and Addie about her job promotion and Marty told them about his partnership with the law offices of McCrae and Knight. They had a wonderful time together and agreed to meet at the cemetery at 2 pm.

They left the Marriott and Marty drove them to the Gilmore residence. Her grandmother, Emily, arrived late from Nantucket on Thursday evening, so Rory told her that she would stop over later Friday morning. Rory stood in front of the imposing doors of the Gilmore House. She remembered countless times that she and her mother stood there, fearing the mood Emily would be in or if she would accept what news they had to share. The old feelings of fear crept over her. If only her mother or grandfather were here.

Looking at her Marty asked, "Aren't you going to ring the bell?"

"Umm, yeah... maybe…" then she turned around and walked back to the car.

"Rory, she is expecting you, right? Princess, what are you afraid of?"

"Marty, you only met Emily once, and she was on her best behavior. You don't know her when she is not, ask Jess, Luke or Logan. They can tell you all about Emily Gilmore."

"Rory, I'm here to slay your dragons, we can overcome all the obstacles together."

He then reached over and rang the bell. Quickly the door opened, and Rory sighed with relief, it was Berta.

"Miss Rory, come in, come in." She hugged her and led them into the front parlor.

Emily came in yelling for Berta.

"Berta who is at the door, oh Rory."

She hugged her and turning to Marty she looked at him and said, "Rory who is this handsome man standing next to you?"

"Grandma, this is Martin Knight, a close friend of mine who has been helping me these last three months."

"Hello Mrs. Gilmore, I am so glad to meet you again," Marty said to her.

"Oh, have we met before? Come in please, would you like something to drink, coffee, tea, scotch?"

"Yes please, a glass of water for me, Rory do you want water too?" he asked her.

"Yes, I would. Excuse me Grandmother, but I need to use your powder room."

She excused herself and went to the small powder room near her grandfather's office.

"Well Martin, you said we met before. Oh, thank you, Berta, I would like an iced tea please and two glasses of water with lemon?" she raised her eyebrow up to Marty to see if she was correct.

"Yes, please and please call me Marty," he told Emily. "We met at Yale when Rory and I were Freshmen at the Princeton Yale Game."

"Oh, I think I remember now," looking off into the distance and thinking of that day with Lorelai and Richard. So much had happened since then, how all their lives had changed. Rory returned from the powder room and sat beside Marty.

"Grandma, I have something to give to you."

She reached into her tote and took out the other gift bag she had in there. She handed it to Emily.

"Oh, what is this?" as she placed the gift bag on the table thinking she would open it later when the company was not around.

"No, I want you to open it now, please," Rory asked her.

Emily took out the tissue paper and slowly opened her gift. Looking confused she looked at Rory.

"Rory, what is this?" Emily asked looking at the picture.

"It's a picture of your great-grandson," Rory said to her.

Emily looked at her, "What does this mean? Rory, you're pregnant?!"

"Yes, grandma I am 18 weeks pregnant now."

"How did this happen? "

Rory looked at her grandmother with shock. With tears in her eyes she glared at her grandmother and with quiet anger in her voice, she stated, "Yes, I am pregnant, and my son's father died three months ago. I thought you would like to know about your only great-grandchild."

"How could you? You are just like your mother!"

"Don't worry Grandma. You won't see us again. My son has a set of loving grandparents that will love him. We don't need you."

She stood up and looked at Marty and said, "Marty it is time for us to leave."

"Rory, Rory! Come back here!"

She walked out of the house without looking back vowing she would never return. They walked to his car and got in. She never said a word, but he could see the tears falling down her cheeks as she sat there silently crying.

Looking over at her he asked, "Do you still want to go to your Grandmother Hayden's home?"

She nodded and wiping the tears from her face she whispered, "I know my son will have you and your parents to love him."

"Rory never forget that he was conceived in love and will always be loved by the people in your life."

Taking her hand in his he brought it to his lips and kissed it. They drove the short distance to the Hayden household, then pulled into the driveway. They walked up to the door. Gigi hearing the car approach ran and opened the door

"Dad, Grandma! Rory and Marty are here," she yelled to them.

Embracing her sister and Marty into a hug she led them into the kitchen. Her grandmother looked at her and getting up slowly from her chair walked over to her and hugged her. Rory no longer could hold back the tears and she began to sob. Christopher looked at Marty and motioned for him to follow him to the other room.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Everything went well, we met the Gerrard's at the Marriott for breakfast and then left and went to see Mrs. Gilmore," Marty explained

Christopher interrupted, "No need to say anything more. She yelled at Rory and belittled her."

Marty nodded.

"That bitter old woman, doesn't she realize that she is not the only one suffering a loss? She was so mean to Rory when Lorelai died. She told Rory that she should have been with her while her mother was sick, not flying around the world with her French boy toy. Luke told me about it when we were at Ace's memorial. He was worried that the nightmares would start again, and I guess they have," Christopher ranted

"Yes, yesterday I went to meet her at Colin and Steph's. She wasn't there. She went shopping and stopped at the cemetery. When she returned she was soaking wet from the rainstorm. She sat in the rain at their grave site. She appeared to be in shock when she walked into the kitchen 3 hours later. I carried her to the shower and then put her to bed. I held her for an hour and then she told me that she saw 3 people there, 2 men and a woman. She calmed down, and we went back to my place. She explained that she went shopping. She was excited because she bought something for the babies, ours and Steph's."

"Ours? You mean hers and Ace's" Christopher said.

"No, Chris, I am in love with your daughter, when we marry the child will be ours," he affirmed.

Chris smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. "I knew that you were the best thing for my daughter. I will be proud to call you my son," he beamed.

"Thank you."

The two men walked back into the kitchen. Francine and Gigi had Rory calmed down and she was drinking a cup of tea. Chris walked to the refrigerator and got Marty and himself a beer.

He looked at Marty and said, "You deserve this. Welcome to the family."

Rory looked at her father and at Marty. They were both smiling at her. How ironic, when she was an infant it was the Hayden family who rejected her and now it was the Gilmore matriarch who rejected her unborn child.

Around 1:30, they left the house to go to the cemetery. The Hayden's left in their car while Marty and Rory followed behind in their own car. Emily had planned this whole memorial service.

When they arrived, Marty and Rory walked over to the Gerrard's and embraced them both. They then led them over to meet her father, sister, and Francine. Luke and Jess appeared with the McCrae's and Finn. Marty pulled Colin, Jess, and Finn aside and explained what had happened. Luke kissed Emily on the cheek. Emily glared at Luke.

"You accept your step daughter's behavior?"

Luke looked at her, "What are you talking about, Emily?" he questioned.

"Her having his baby, with no father. She's just like her mother. Never concerned how things will look."

"Emily."

"We will talk about it later Luke and she walked away and went to speak to the minister that she had arranged for today.

Luke went over to Rory and pulled her into his side. He kissed her on the top of her head and said, "It will be ok."

To the casual onlooker that day at the cemetery, you saw 2 groups of people standing in front of the grave site. A large group stood around protecting the young women and a small group, of 3, Emily, Berta and the driver standing on the other side. When the minister finished, the larger group all returned to their cars and followed The Hayden's to their home. While the ceremony was going on, Christopher called his housekeeper and asked her to order food and drinks for 30 people to be ready at their house in 2 hours.

As Rory was walking to her car with the Gerrard's Emily approached them saying, "I am Emily Gilmore, I don't believe we have met."

Rory glared at her grandmother and said, "These are Ace's parents. My son's grandparents, Adélaïde and Nicolai Gerrard."

"You are coming back to the house, Rory?" Emily said.

"No, we are going to Grandma Francine's home where everyone is welcomed." She turned around and left her grandmother standing there in shock.

Emily screamed at Rory, "Don't you walk away from me, young lady. I won't hear of it."

Holding her head high she continued to walk away and got into the car with the Gerrard's. Marty drove his car leading the way to the Hayden's home, and they followed.

Addie looking with love at the young girl asked, "Mon cheri what is wrong?"

"It's a long story."

Rory then told them about the volatile relationship that she had with her grandparents and how she did not want that for her son. She revealed how that even Ace had not known all that went on between her and her grandmother. As they got out of the car, Addie hugged the young woman. She understood the loneliness that Rory was feeling having lost her own mother at a young age. They entered the Hayden home and Rory relaxed as soon as Marty walked in. He stayed by her side attentive to all her needs and making sure she ate.

The Hayden's and the Gerrard's talked together in the kitchen while Rory and her friends stayed in the formal Living Room. Luke walked between the two rooms talking to the Hayden's, the Gerrard's and Rory's friends. The guest had been visiting and talking for over an hour when the doorbell rang. Rory being closer to the door answered it. Outside the door stood Logan.

"Hey, I remembered that you were meeting today at the cemetery. Can I come in?"

"Oh sure," she apologized and backed up opening the door to let him enter.

Christopher hearing the bell ring came out to see who it was.

"Hello Logan. Come in. Can I get you something to drink, scotch, a beer?"

"Thanks, Chris I would like a beer," He said, shaking Chris' hand and watched as Jess, Marty, and Luke walked into the room.

"Logan." Jess nodded.

Logan turned to Rory, he noticed Finn and Colin walking in from the kitchen carrying food.

He smiled and said, "Hi guys."

Feeling relieved to see friends in the room. Taking Rory's hand, he led her to a couch and said "I wanted to be here with you today. I felt bad I wasn't able to be with you last year."

Looking at him confused, she said "Logan it's ok. I'm ok and thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to come." Taking his hand in hers, she led him into the kitchen.

"Logan, I want you to meet my Maman and Papa, Ace's parent's Adélaïde and Nicolai Gerrard. This is Logan Huntzberger. He and the other people you have met here today have been my friends. We attended Yale together."

Taking Marty's hand, she said, "If it wasn't for Marty we wouldn't be friends and we wouldn't be together today."

Looking up with affection in her eyes she said, "We owe our friendship to him. It was luck that brought us together and fate that brought us back together."

Looking over at her father with a smile in her eyes she turned and hugged Marty tight.

Luke, Jess, and Christopher knew that Rory would be fine. Looking on, the Gerrard's smiled and knew their "daughter" (who they had embraced from the moment she walked into their house) would be okay. She had someone who would protect her and their grandson. Logan realized that now he had competition, and he had lost her forever.

Rory returned to work on Monday after that hectic weekend. Having her friends near helped her. She spent time with Jess and Luke and they discussed Emily's behavior. Sitting at her news desk she thought about the conversation in the apartment above the diner.

"Luke, should I wait awhile before I call Emily, or should I go back over there?"

"Rory, give her time. Maybe you and Marty could stop back on your way home," Luke suggested.

He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"She drove your mother crazy, but she is hurting too. I don't think she expected you to be pregnant. This will be her first great-grandson. Get her involved."

"I gave her a picture of the baby with a frame. The way she looked at it…?" Rory whispered. At this point, Marty got up and pulled her into his arms.

"Ror, look at me, how about this? We go up in a few weeks and give her time. I don't want you to get upset. It's not good for you or the baby," he said.

Rory's computer chimed, and she began to read the newest information coming through the computer. Brie knocked at her door and handed her the stories that she needed to get ready for the news desk. She got up and walked out of her office into the newsroom and went across to Dan Sheppard's office. She smiled as she saw him sitting going over his stories. Tonight, was his first night as the news anchor. She hoped this show goes well. She was nervous, but he had faith in her.

The show went well without a hitch. She could leave by 7 pm and eager to relax. She was collecting her things when her phone rang. It was Steph.

"Hi Steph, what's up?" she asked. Her feet were killing her, and she was experiencing backaches.

"Hi, just calling to see how you are holding up after last weekend?"

Rory took off her shoes as she spoke to Steph, "Well my feet are sore, and I have a backache and I am wearing the maternity clothes now full time other than that everything is great.

'Colin and I made reservations at Trattoria Trecoloria at 7:30. I wanted to know if you and Marty want to join us?"

"Well let me call Marty and then call you back," she said.

"Ok, talk to you soon." and then Steph ended the call.

Rory pushed the speed dial number for Marty, she had her back to her door and when she heard the knock she jumped. There was Marty standing on the other side of her glass door holding up his phone and smiling at her.

She hung her phone up and motioned for him to come in. She bent over to put her shoes back on and moaned.

Walking over he saw her shoes on the floor and her bare foot under her desk.

.

"Is this the new trend for office attire in the CBS newsroom?" he asked laughing.

She looked up at him and pouted. "My feet hurt today. Oh, Steph just called and wanted to know if we want to join them at Trattoria Trecoloria. They have reservations at seven thirty."

"Sure, can you get your shoes back on Cinderella?" he asked leaning over her and kissing her.

She put her arms around his neck and kissing him back she said, "Prince Charming I think I need help."

Laughing he got down on one knee and reached for her foot. He massaged it before putting it in her shoe, then he continued to massage her calf. Rory let out a low moan. Just then Dan and Brie came rushing into her office. Brie looked at Marty on one knee in front of Rory and poked Dan in the ribs.

"Oh, excuse us, we can talk later." Dragging Dan out of the office she gives Rory a thumb up. Rory looks at Marty. He laughs as he does the same thing to her other foot.

"What's so funny?" she asked him.

"I love to hear you moan," he chuckles, "Come on, Cinderella, your pumpkin awaits."

Pulling her into his arms he kisses her on her lips. "Let's feed our little guy."

They walked out of her office and said goodnight to everyone.

They arrived at Trattoria Trecolori and followed the host to their table, the two ladies embraced and took seats across from each other, so they could talk. The waiter came over and took the drink order and Colin ordered appetizers for the table. He ordered the Trecolori which were a selection of Italian cured meats and aged cheeses for the girls and Frito mistos, which was a fried medley of calamari and shrimp garnished with fried zucchini and peppers served with a marinara or Fra Diavolo sauce, for him and Marty.

"Have you spoken to your grandmother since the memorial?" Steph asked.

"No, we stopped by when we were on our way home on Sunday, but she had left already. Marty and I spoke, and in a few weeks after my next doctor visit, we will go to Nantucket for a visit to see how she's doing."

"I'm sorry that it happened," Steph said.

The waiter came with their appetizer and asked if they were ready to order. Colin ordered for the table. They were eating and enjoying their appetizer when Mitchum and Shira Huntzberger were passing by their table as they followed the host.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

"Rory Gilmore, it's so good to see you. You are looking lovely this evening," Mitcham grinned with his fake Cheshire Cat smile.

"Oh, hello Mr. Huntzberger, Mrs. Huntzberger, thank you," Rory responded and took a sip of her cranberry and tonic.

"Well I don't want to interrupt your evening, but I want to meet with you for lunch sometime," he said.

"Can I ask what for?" she asked glaring at him.

"I have a business opportunity for you and I think you might be interested in it."

"Well if it is about joining your son's network, thank you but I already told Logan that I'm not interested. I love my job at CBS as executive producer," she responded.

Just then Logan appeared behind him with Liza Majors.

Colin looked at Logan and raising his eyebrows said, "Logan so nice to see you here with your parents."

Marty sat quietly during this whole exchange holding Rory's hand under the table. He could feel her tense and wasn't sure what she would do.

At that point Steph looked at the uninvited guests that stopped at their table and said,

"Excuse us but I need to use the ladies room. Rory, will you join me?"

The two women excused themselves and left the table.

Colin looked at the elder Huntzberger and said, "You know Mitchum I don't know what games you're playing, but I suggest you leave Rory alone."

Mitchum looked at Colin and smirked, "There's no game Colin, I want to have a meeting with her."

"Well, then I suggest you call my office to set up this meeting since Mr. Knight and I are her lawyers. We will clear it with her and if she is not interested, then that will be the end of it," Colin stated firmly.

"Have a nice dinner," Mitchum said and walked towards their table. Before Logan could do anything, Colin grabbed his friend's arm.

"What is going on Logan?" he asked.

"Colin, I don't know, but I plan to find out. That's why I agreed to this dinner tonight."

Colin saw Steph and Rory heading back so he let go of Logan's arm.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Logan told him leaving to join his parents.

The girls came back and sat down.

Marty looked at Rory with concern in his eyes, and asked, "Princess, are you okay? You look pale."

"Marty, give me your hand," she said taking his hand and placing it on her bump. "Do you feel that?" He shook his head. ""Wait, okay did you feel that?"

Suddenly Marty's face broke into a big grin. "I did," and he laughed.

The two of them smiling looked at each other and kissed. From his seat, Logan had a perfect view of their table. He felt a pull in his chest as he watched this exchange.

Thinking to himself, "It should be me," he then took a sip of his drink and looked at his menu.

The two couples enjoyed their dinner together despite the interruption at the beginning of their meal. Saying goodnight, they both got into their town cars and returned to their apartments

They returned to Marty's apartment. Rory and Marty had started to keep clothes at each other's apartment and to alternate evenings unless one of them had to leave for business. Rory also had a Go Bag, ready in case she had to leave for a story at the spur of the moment. Checking their phones when they reached his apartment, Marty noticed he missed a call from his parents. Sitting down on the couch with Rory's head on his lap watching the news, he called his mother.

"Mom, Hi, sorry I missed your call. Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Yes dear, everything is ok. Marty, we wanted you to know that Dad and I are flying in on Friday for the weekend. Your sister will be arriving either Thursday or Friday too. We hoped that we can see you and meet Rory," Leah told him.

"I am sure we can do that," he answered looking down at the sleeping woman on his lap.

"Why don't you call me when you check into the hotel. Where are you staying?"

"We are staying at the Redbury," she replied.

"Well we will see you on Friday when we get out of work."

He turned off his phone and gazed at her. He would do anything to protect her and keep her safe. He wondered what was Mitchum's reason to meet with Rory. He decided tomorrow that he and Colin should sit down and have a serious discussion. Something didn't seem right about Mitchum's sudden interest with Rory. Gently kissing Rory, he woke her up.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you to bed." She sat up.

Standing up he led her to the bedroom where they both got ready for bed and cuddled together. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Stroking her hair, he was glad to see she was sleeping tonight. Last night she tossed and turned and woke him up talking in her sleep. Cuddling with her he fell fast asleep.

The week went by fast. On Wednesday, Colin received a call from Mitchum Huntzberger wanted to set up a meeting with Rory. Mitchum was vague about what the meeting would be about. Colin told him he would check with Rory's schedule and set up a meeting. He got off the phone and walked the short distance to Marty's office.

Knocking at the door, he walked in. Marty was busy working on some briefs and looked up when he walked in.

"What's up, Colin?" he asked.

"I got off the phone from Mitchum Huntzberger again, wanting to set up a meeting with Rory. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why?

"Colin, did your father ever do business with the Huntzbergers before he died?"

"Yes, he oversaw the HPG account. Do you think we might find out answers if we did a little digging in those old files?" he asked.

"I'm not sure but it might be worth checking out. Have you spoken to Logan about this?" Marty asked him.

"No, I haven't but I plan on meeting Finn and Logan tonight to play poker. Why don't you join us? I know you are a good poker player and maybe after a few drinks Logan may feel like talking."

"Sounds like a plan. Where are you playing?"

"I've got the address right here, it's at his partner Liam's apartment, 375 Gateway Plaza 400 Battery Park, apartment 24P."

"Wait, that's Rory's apartment complex. He lives there? I wonder if she knows it?"

"I thought the address sounded familiar. So, I'll meet you there around eight o'clock?"

.

"Yeah. I will be there," Marty replied to him before returning to his work.

Colin left the room and Marty immediately checked the clock. He wondered if Rory would be available, so he gave her a call at the newsroom deciding that if she wasn't available he would leave a message. Taking out his cell he pressed the speed dial, after four rings she answered.

"Hey, sorry I was on the other line. We are doing the fact checks for the first presidential debate. What's up?" she asked.

"Hi Babe, I wanted to let you know I will be picking up dinner tonight and I will bring it over to your place."

"You are such a good provider," she teased him.

"Always for you, babe. I know how the Gilmore Girls need their sustenance and now especially with the little guy on his way. I have also been invited to play poker with Colin, Finn, Logan, and Liam tonight. Liam is hosting it at his place," he said.

"That's good, then you won't have far to go when you're done," she says.

"How long have you known that Liam has lived there?"

"Only a few weeks. I ran into him on the elevator a few times."

She avoided telling him about their talks on the rooftop terrace or in their apartments.

"Why didn't you mention it to me?"

"Well there were so many other things going on Marty, and I didn't think it was that important. Plus, I am hardly at my apartment. Oh, shoot, Marty, I must go, something just came over my computer monitor. I'll see you later hun." she said to him.

He told her goodbye and smiled. Playing poker tonight might be a good way to find out what is going on with the Huntzbergers.

At a quarter to eight, Marty got ready to leave for Liam's. He went to the door, and they were standing in the doorway kissing goodbye when Finn walked by.

"Where does a guy get in line for a goodbye like that, Kitten?" Finn joked.

Rory blushed and moved away from Marty. Marty turned and laughed at his friend.

"So, mate, are you ready to lose your money? Colin said that you were going to join us in tonight's game. I have my supplies here."

He lifted his box that he was carrying in his hand. Rory standing on her tiptoes looked in, he had cigars and scotch. Quite a few bottles of scotch. She looked at Finn and then at Marty.

"Please do me a favor and don't come home smelling like those disgusting cigars. Or you will sleep in the hall tonight," she said looking at both Marty and Finn.

"Love, I will have you know that these cigars are one hundred dollars apiece and they are soaked in brandy."

Giving Marty another kiss goodbye she rolled her eyes. She then gave Finn a kiss on his cheek.

"Don't get him too drunk tonight," she told him.

She turned and walked back into her apartment. Finn and Marty proceed down the hall to Liam's apartment.

"Marty, did you know that Liam was living in the same building and the same floor as Rory?" Finn asked.

"No, I found out today. Rory said he moved in a few weeks ago. She hasn't been here much."

"Tell me mate, how is she holding up since the memorial fiasco with Emily?"

"Finn, to be honest with you I am worried. Sunday night she tossed and turned and was talking in her sleep. Last night she slept better, but she is tossing and turning a lot. Work is also more stressful I noticed."

"Has she spoken to Emily yet?" Finn said.

"You know Emily was the problem when her mother died. Ace took Rory away, so she didn't have to deal with her."

Marty reached for the buzzer while they were talking. Logan opened the door and looked surprised when he saw Marty with Finn.

"I brought supplies!" Finn announced as he walked in carrying the box. Marty followed behind.

Liam came over to Marty and shook his hand. "I don't believe we formally met, I am Liam Cooper," he said introducing himself.

"Marty Knight," Marty replied.

"Well, I am glad that you could join us tonight. This was Logan's idea, apparently, the guys meet regularly to play poker. I'm new to this."

Looking at Finn and Logan, Marty smiled. "I remember them playing poker all night and the next day. I think I might have been the bartender at one of those events."

Liam looked at Logan and Marty asking," Bartender? You had a bartender at your poker games at college?"

Finn put his arm around Marty's shoulder, "He was one of the best bartender's we had."

Stephanie arrived with Colin and Robert. Stopping in front of 24B she rang Rory's buzzer while the men walked down to Liam's apartment.

Robert looked at Colin, "Don't you find it strange that in all the apartments in New York, Logan's business partner is living in the same building as Rory and on the same floor?"

"Until Logan called me about the poker game, I had no idea who Liam was or where he lived. So now that you mention it, yes, I do. I am finding a lot of Logan's behavior lately strange," Colin replied.

Just then the buzzer rang again, this time Liam went to the door, it was Colin and Robert. They walked in and when they saw Logan and Finn they embraced each other while slapping each other on the back saying "In Omnia Paratus".

Liam and Marty stood to the side and watched them. The men were like little boys when they got together, and Logan was the one in charge.

Logan then turned to Robert and said, "Robert, you remember Marty Knight from Yale and this is Liam Cooper my partner." The men all shook hands, Colin and Finn began to set up the table and chairs.

Liam looked at the men, "So what can I get you, gentlemen, to drink?"

He had the Scotch and Bourbon set out on the kitchen counter along with the ice and glasses. He also had a plate of cheese, crackers, and cured meat set out that he had delivered from the local deli. The men sat down and played poker.

When the buzzer rang Rory immediately opened the door relieved to see her best friend. She was feeling melancholy and wasn't looking forward to being alone tonight. Having her friend here would be a good distraction from her memories.

Steph walked in and sat on the couch, pulling out a large envelope she handed it to Rory.

"What's this, Steph?" looking at the envelope as she slowly removed the contents. Inside was 1 small and 3 larger black notebooks along with several postcards and other correspondence in white envelopes that fell out onto her lap.

"The three large, and one small black notebook, along with the cards are what I picked up from the doorman at Ace's apartment. I showed them to Colin, and he agreed with me that you should look at them."

"Who are the cards from?" she asked.

She picked up a card, on the front was a picture of the Eiffel Tower, on the back was written:

 _Ace,_

 _Thank you for such an amazing night. The hotel was so romantic and the rose petals on the bed meant so much to me. When are you returning to Paris?_

 _I miss you,_

 _Love,_

 _Cecilie_

"Steph, if this is a joke it isn't funny," she said looking shocked at Stephanie.

"No there's more and if you look at the notebooks, they seem to be a journal of his trips and what he did."

She picked up a black notebook that was dated 2014 and opened it. It was written all in French.

"Steph, I can't read French, so this doesn't help me at all."

"But I do," and Steph opened the notebook to the day that Ace and Rory met. Steph translated what he wrote.

 _May 2 I have arrived back in DC and will attend the Correspondent Dinner. Looking forward to seeing my friends and spending time with my parents._

 _May 3 I met the most incredible woman tonight. She has bewitched me with her intelligence and blue eyes. I want to see her again, but I must end my other relationships. This woman will be the one I take home to meet my parents. Her name is Rory, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore Hayden. I have read some of her articles, she has written under the pseudonym Leigh Hollow._ _Now she is working for CBS, I am tempted to take the job offer so I can see her again._

Looking up at Rory, she stopped. Tears were pouring down Rory's face.

"Ror, I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, that's ok I remember that day. I gave him a hard time. He seemed to possess the confidence and bravado of another man in the news industry that I had been trying to avoid."

"You mean Logan?"

"Yes Logan, but how did Ace know my father's name? I don't go by it, the only place you can find it is on my birth certificate."

"He's a journalist. What do journalist do?"

"Yes, research, he researched me and charmed me, and I never knew it."

Rory got up and walked to her kitchen putting on the kettle to boil water for the two of them. She looked over at Steph and the cards and books on the table.

"Steph put those back in the envelope. I have a box in my bedroom I will put them in there and look at them later."

Making the tea for them both she walked over to her and handed her the cup. She picked up the packet and put it on the bed and walked back out. Upon returning to the main room, she picked up her teacup and sat beside Steph.

Grabbing the remote she said, "I think we need a movie night. What do you say to the Paper Chaser?" Rory hit the amazon prime choice and started the movie.

"Steph, I am feeling more movement now from our little guy. It is so exciting. This morning, Marty awoke me by kissing my stomach and talking to the baby. He is so wonderful. How did I get so lucky to find a man like him?" Tears formed in her eyes as she told Steph that.

"Rory, it is kismet. Colin even says that. Having Marty in your life seems to make you happier. So now I need to know what are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you two going to move in together?"

Looking at Steph she shrugged her shoulders "I'm afraid that as soon as I do something will happen and he will leave me, and I will be all alone again."

The men had been playing poker for an hour. Marty was ahead about a thousand dollars, of course, Colin was winning. Liam was quietly sipping on his bourbon and watching Logan. Logan was drinking the scotch rather quickly and already was making silly mistakes. He noticed that Finn pretended to be drunk but often added more ice to his scotch and let it get watered down before he drank from it. Robert was drinking as much as Logan and egging him on.

"So Huntz, you said you are opening your own Network. Why here?" Robert questioned. "Do you need any backers?"

Robert had become a successful financial analyst, but Logan who never trusted him avoided giving him any money at any cost.

"No Robert, but thanks. Liam and I have it covered."

Colin also observing the amount of scotch that Logan had consumed, with Robert asking him about the Network, he thought this would be a good opening and questioned him about Mitcham. However, Marty is an excellent lawyer and asked Logan the questions first.

"Logan, Rory told me that you both have purchased a studio in Queens. This would be a great investment for anyone. I am surprised you're not taking Robert's offer? Are you using the HPG parent company to sponsor you?"

Robert looked over at Marty surprised that he would show support for him. Liam remained quiet. He had respect for Marty, having researched him when he realized that he and Rory were more than just friends.

"No, I am breaking away from the company. I convinced my father that I wanted to start my own Network News agency. Journalism has changed in the 21st century and I convinced him that to survive we needed to make changes." Logan stated.

"Then why were you at dinner with Shira, Mitchum and Liza Majors the other night. Are you dating Liza now Logan?" Colin asked.

Liam looked up over his cards at Logan. This was news to him. He didn't trust Liza Majors. She was a low-level gossip columnist with unscrupulous morals. More Mitchum style than Logan's.

Logan folded and said, "No I am not dating Liza Majors. Dad and Shira suggested dinner since my mother was back from her spa and he brought Liza along as a fourth to even the numbers."

"Hm, that's not what it looked like from where I was sitting," said Colin.

Noticing that the conversation would get heated Finn jumped in, "Marty, will Rory and Emily make up? I've never seen Emily look so angry as she did at the memorial. Have you Logan? You know her better."

"No, Marty do you know what it was about?" Logan asked.

Looking at Colin he wondered if he should say anything. But Colin gave him a nod suggesting that it would be ok to share with them what the disagreement was about.

"Rory bought a picture frame and had a picture of the ultrasound put in it to give to Emily."

"Wait, Mother is pregnant?" Robert said, referring to her in their favorite nickname that they gave her in college.

Liam looked at him and laughed, "You call Rory 'Mother,' now how pray tell did she get that nickname."

Finn responded, "Well Rory was always telling us off and yelling at us when the four of us in college got into different scrapes. Then there was the time that Logan thought that they needed to do one last LDB event. So, with Roberts help, we planned a trip to Costa Rica to go base jumping, of course, we were all drunk."

"It's the only way I could get the courage to make the jump," Colin added.

"And Logan's chute didn't open correctly causing multiple broken bones. He nearly died. It was Rory who yelled at all of us and even told the Dark Lord off. She is one hell of a woman. After that we called her mother. She was the only one who seemed to care for us and still does," he added.

"Yes, I agree she is but back to my question, who is the father? You Logan?" Robert asked.

Finn, Colin, Marty, and Liam all laughed.

"Robert where have you been the last nine years, under a rock?" Logan answered, "I have not seen Rory until May when I arrived hearing from Steph about her fiancé's unfortunate death."

"Nine years?! You let that beautiful woman go for nine years. Logan, I thought you two loved each other. I was sure you would get back together. If I had known that you really had walked away, I would have been knocking on her door."

During this conversation, Finn, Colin, Liam, and Marty said nothing. Finn and Colin both agreed with Robert that Logan had been a fool for letting his pride rule his heart. Marty was glad that he had and now he knew that Rory was his.

"Well Robert, it is water under the bridge, the point is that Emily was cruel to Rory when her mother died," continued Finn.

"She blamed her for Lorelai's death and accused her of being selfish, and roaming around the world with her French Man."

"Emily wasn't around when Rory, Jess, Luke, and Ace were sitting with Lorelai while going through chemotherapy," Colin added.

"Rory changed her schedule so that she could be with her mother and she went with Luke to take her to all her appointments. Rory and Ace were sitting with her when she died in the hospital," Finn recalled.

The men sat silently.

Finally, Marty spoke. "Rory told her grandmother off Friday morning, I had never seen her get so angry before. When we left there, we went to the Hayden's, and we spent time with Francine and Christopher. She felt much better after that. But the nightmares have started again. I am very worried."

Logan looked at Marty wondering how he would know about her having nightmares unless they were sleeping together and that they were more than friends.

Looking at Marty he asked him, "Nightmares, again? You mean this has happened before?"

Finn nodded. "Yes, when her grandfather passed she had terrible nightmares. You remember when she was in college Logan and her grandfather had the heart attack?"

"Yes I do, I went with her to the hospital, it was very traumatic for her."

"Well for 3 months she was having terrible nightmares, not sleeping. Jess ended up moving in with her and would hold her and calm her down. Jess and I called Paris, who recommended a doctor and with Paris' help, we convinced Rory to see a doctor who helped her. Then when Lorelai died, the nightmares came again. Ace took her to Europe and turned her phone off. With Ace taking her to Europe, Emily was here alone. Luke and Jess tried to visit her, but you know Emily. Luke himself was also having a hard time dealing with the loss of Lorelai. The best thing for Rory was that she had someone who treated her with the love and respect she deserved."

"Wow, I had no idea that she was going through all of this," Logan whispered taking a sip from his glass.

"Steph and I have been there for each event and that's when Rory and Steph became so close. So you can understand our concern for her. Marty, I would not encourage her to see Emily until you know she is strong enough to handle this. I would hate to see her have problems with the baby," Colin added.

Marty affirmed, "I know."

Suddenly Finn clapped his hands and said, "Bloody Hell come on Mates we need a cigar and more drinks. Let's go up on the terrace and smoke these bloody cigars."

The men stood up and Finn grabbed the bottles and the cigars and followed Liam to the terrace. Just as they were going to the elevator, Marty and Colin held back and went into Rory's apartment to check on the girls. The girls were all curled up on the couch watching a movie. Marty walked over to Rory and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hey, are you all out of money?" Rory teased.

Smiling he said, "No, I missed you and wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Aww, and you dragged my husband with you? Marty, you are so thoughtful," Steph sighed.

Colin pulled Steph from the couch and gave her a kiss. "No, he didn't drag me I came voluntarily. I miss you and the little bug," he added as he put his hand on her flat stomach.

Rory and Steph laughed, "So are you finished playing poker?"

"No, we are on our way to the terrace to smoke the cigars that Finn brought. Steph are you going to wait for me or are you going to take the car home?" he asked.

"I will go home soon, it's almost ten now so I will leave when the movie is over," she replied.

"Ok, text me and I will make sure the car is waiting for you. Love you, sweetheart," Colin said as he gave her another kiss goodbye. "Goodnight Rory" and he kissed her on the cheek.

Rory walked them to the door and pulled Marty to her putting her arms around his neck. She pulled him close to her and kissed him gently on the lips. "I'll be in bed but wake me up when you come in."

"I will Princess," he whispered.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

The two men left and went to the terrace where they joined the others drinking their scotch and smoking cigars. Colin and Marty noticed that something was bothering Logan while they played poker. Colin decided he would check things out to find out what Mitchum was up too.

When they got to the roof, Colin walked over to Logan and sat beside him.

"You're not yourself Logan. What's going on?" Colin asked him as he puffed on his cigar.

"Colin, I don't know I am so confused. All the time I was with Ace, my father tried to break us up and he succeeded. He even pushed for that "Dynastic Plan" and when it didn't work he encouraged me to marry Evee Sheppard. But now suddenly, he is focusing again on Rory. It doesn't make sense."

"Does he know that she is a Hayden and has inherited a lot of money?"

"That shouldn't make a difference, but he did say something about that. Then I told her she was pregnant, he wasn't concerned."

Finn walked to where they were sitting and joined the conversation, "You know, Mate, your first concern should be Rory. She has a lot on her plate now and she doesn't need head games from the Dark Lord."

"I know. Finn, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Logan, ask away."

"What is really going on between Rory and Marty?"

"That's a question I can't answer. That is something you will have to ask her."

Steph left around ten thirty, and Rory got ready for bed. She wasn't that tired, so she looked at the notebooks and the cards that Steph brought over. She picked up another card. This one had the initial **B** on the front. Inside was a message, in English.

 _My love, why have I not heard from you? I miss your tender kisses and your hands on my body. Please call me so we can meet again soon._

 _XXXX_

 _Cecile_

The card had no date, and she wondered when it was written and when he received it. She then looked in one of the smaller notebooks. The first one was a phone book with a list of phone numbers with his contacts. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed that in the Hs a number was circled with the words, HPG, M next to it. She picked up her phone and looked through her recent calls from when Mitchum called her. It was the same number. Why was Mitchum calling Ace, and why did Ace have his number? She continued to look through the other numbers but none of them seemed unusual. She looked under B and C to see if he had Cecile's number but there was no phone numbere entered unless he had it listed under something else. Rory never knew who Ace worked for before CBS. He never talked about his life before they met, and she never talked about hers. Their time together had been so busy with work and taking care of her mother that they never had time to share their past. They looked forward to the future. A future for them that was too short.

The next morning Rory heard the alarm go off first. This was unusual because Marty was always up first off for a run on the Esplanade when he stayed with her. She sat up looking for the annoying alarm. She found his phone and turned it off. He slept right through it and was snoring. She giggled. She never heard him snore before. She slowly lifted the covers and began to kiss his chest, his stomach and placing her hand on his boxers she gently ran her hand down his thigh. Suddenly she felt herself being flipped over on her back and he was on top of her smiling.

"Hi," he grinned and then kissed her. He continued to kiss her neck and behind her ear. She closed her eyes and pushed her body up towards his. She could feel his excitement and she caressed his back. She moved her hands down and pushed his boxers down. She began to kiss his neck and chest. She loved the feel of his skin on hers. She let him lift the T-shirt off, and they held each other close letting their kisses and hands explore each other. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his lips to hers.

He continued to caress her. She looked into his eyes and said one word, "Please".

Kissing her passionately he slowly entered her. Enjoying the feel of her, he began to slowly move inside her. Soon neither one could contain their excitement. Holding each other she looked up at him and smiled.

"Did you come home a winner last night?" she asked.

"I am a winner. In fact, I just collected my prize." he teased.

"Oh, you think so. Am I your prize?"

"You're more than that and I am happy that I have you in my life," he said kissing her.

Just then her phone beeped letting her know she had a message. She rolled away from him and looked at her phone. It was a message from the news studio. Something was going on and she needed to head to the studio as soon as possible. She looked at him and pouted.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I have to go to the studio; some breaking news is happening, and Dan asked me to come in as soon as I could." She got out of bed and grabbing his T-shirt she slipped it on and went to find clothes to wear. Carrying her clothes to the bathroom she started the shower. Marty got up and made himself a coffee and started the kettle for her. He heard the hair dryer start and knew she was finished with the shower. He walked into the bathroom and handed her the mug of tea he made for her. Placing the mug on the sink he walked behind her and pulled her into him and began to kiss her neck and nibble on her ear.

"Hey, you will mess up my hair," she said.

He laughed, "I love when you wear your hair in a braid, I can kiss you better." he mumbled as he continued to kiss her neck and her shoulders slipping her bra strap down her arm and pulling her breast out of her bra.

"Marty, this isn't fair. I have to get ready for work." He lifted his head up and looked at her in the mirror and smiled.

"Ok, we will finish this when you get home tonight."

He turned her around kissing her and turned on the shower. She walked out of the bathroom and dressed in her new black dress she bought in Hartford. She liked the way it looks. Turning sideways she looked at her profile and put her hand on her stomach. She smiled as she felt another movement. Marty came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked into the closet and took out his charcoal suit and blue shirt. He looked at her and smiled. Walking over he placed his hand on her bump. He felt the movement again, he bent kissing her belly and began to talk to it. She ran her fingers through his damp hair. He kissed her belly then stood up.

"Ok, Ror go and get yourself some yogurt. I called the car and they will be here in 15 minutes."

She ate her yogurt while he finished dressing. The two of them left their apartment and got on the elevator together. Putting her hands on his face she pulled him in for another kiss. The elevator opened, and they both got into the car.

Liam got to the studio office that they were leasing at eight am. He was on his second mug of coffee when Logan entered the office with sunglasses on.

"Looking rough this morning," he laughed as Logan slowly walked in and headed for the coffee pot.

"Yeah, thanks for hosting poker night, boy can Finn and Robert drink!" Logan said.

"Well I wonder how many are moving this morning"

Logan sat at his desk and moved papers around. He turned on his computer and noticed he received an email from his father. Opening it he moaned.

 _Logan, we need to talk. I want to set up a meeting with you and Rory Gilmore. Please call me as soon as you read it._

 _Mitchum._

"What's wrong, bad news?" Liam asked.

"I guess you can say that, my father wants me to call him and set up another meeting. I don't understand what his interest is in Rory Gilmore. Now he wants to set up a meeting with her," Logan explained.

"Logan, I know you had a relationship with her before, but I was surprised that all five of you had such strong feelings for her. What do you think Mitchum's interest is with her?"

"I have no idea, so I better make that phone call and find out what he wants. Reaching for his phone, Logan walked out of their office to make the call.

Rory walked into a very busy newsroom, reports were coming in about an earthquake in Italy. She walked into her office and pulled up her computer screens. She sorted through the stories and handing off information for her producers to begin fact-checking. She worked on getting the lineup for the program for today and had meetings all morning. Before she knew it, she was in the production studio with her headset on watching Dan do his live show. Today would be a long day, with the information coming in she might need to stay until 8 pm. She quickly pulled out her phone and sent Marty a message. He told her that he would have a car sent to her when she was ready to leave. She smiled at his other message reminding her that a warm bath would be ready for her when she returned home.

"Whatcha smiling at Boss," Brie asked as she walked into Rory's office.

Rory had already kicked off her shoes and wishing she had brought a pair of flats to slip on. Rory's feet were sore and swollen. She reached over her desk to get her chicken salad. She longed to have a cheeseburger from Luke's but the indigestion she had whenever she ate burgers was not worth it.

"I got a text from Marty reminding me of a promise he made this morning," she answered.

Brie smiled at her and sat down. "Rory, why didn't you two ever get together when you were in school?" she asked.

"I never realized he was interested in me. Marty was quiet and shy. Did I tell you how we met?" Rory asked her.

"No, you never did, same class?

Smiling she leaned back in her chair and told her about the morning she opened the door and found Marty lying naked on the floor in front of her dorm room. She laughed as she told Brie how she removed her robe and handed it to him to put on.

"That's the short version of how we met, then we would hang out together, watch movies, study, talk. I never knew how much he liked me until my senior year. By that time, I was dating Logan Huntzberger. I was living in his apartment that we had shared, and Logan was in London. I met two girls, Olivia and Lucy who became my friends. Lucy kept on talking about 'Boyfriend' which she referred to Marty as. When Lucy introduced me to Marty he pretended he didn't know me. It was awful and embarrassing and now life has brought us back together."

"So, fate brought you two together twice."

"I guess you can say that."

"Rory, you seem happy when he is around. I'm not saying you weren't happy with Ace, but you were also a bundle of nerves with him. It seemed like you were caught riding on his tailwind. It's different this time with Marty. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Rory answered.

"Are you in love with him?"

Rory smiled she knows that the answer is yes, but she still was afraid to admit it to anyone. She looked at her stomach and put her hand on it. She felt a flutter and remembered him kissing her there this morning. "Brie, I…"

Just then Dan walked in handing her a paper. She looked up at him and smiled. She could go home now and relax. No important news items were coming across the AP wires. She picked up her phone and pushed the speed dial for Marty.

"Hey, I can leave in 15 min. Meet you at your place?" she asked.

She ended her call and smiled at both. "Good show tonight guys, I will go home and put these legs up," she said as she bent over putting her shoes back on.

"Brie remind me to bring in a pair of flats or slippers from home to keep in the office. I think the next 4 ½ months I will need them."

She gathered her things and walked out of the office.

It was six o'clock, and she was hungry. She forgot to order food to be delivered for their dinner tonight. She reached into her bag happy to find an apple that Marty had slipped in there. She pulled it out and leaning back in the seat of the town car, she started to eat it. She thought about Marty then she thought about Ace. Was what Brie said true. Yes, when she was with Ace, her life was fast pace.

 _She and Ace had been dating for 4 weeks when she brought him to Stars Hollow. She remembered him looking around and smiling. The first person he met was Miss Patty. They had just pulled up in his Jaguar in front of the diner. He walked around the car and opened the door for her when Miss Patty appeared from nowhere._

" _Rory. my dear, you look marvelous. Who is this handsome specimen of a man?"_

" _Oh, Miss Patty, this is my boyfriend, Acelot Gerrard, Ace this is Miss Patty our dance instructor here at Stars Hollow," she said then whispered, "Don't turn around"._

 _He looked at Rory with a funny smile and taking Miss Patty's hand, he kissed the back of it and said, "Enchanté`"_

" _Oh, Rory, a Frenchman, you know dear they make the best lovers."_

 _Ace laughed and said, "I am trying to prove that to Rory."_

 _Rory blushed and took Ace's hand brought him quickly into the diner. He laughed and pulled her in for a kiss that left her breathless in front of everyone in the diner. Her mother and Luke had been standing by the counter and watched the whole scene._

 _Looking up into his brown eyes she forgot where she was and pulled him back in for another kiss. Just then she heard someone clear their throat. She turned around and saw a diner full of people._

" _Oh Mom, Luke, this is Acelot Gerrard, Ace this is my mother, Lorelai and my stepfather Luke," she said while gazing at Ace._

" _So nice to meet you, Ace, I wish I could say that Rory has told us all about you, but she hasn't told us anything," Lorelai said grabbing her daughter by the arm and pulling her away._

" _Nice to meet you Ace, now what can I get you to eat?" Luke said, "the usual Rory?"_

" _Yes, Luke Ace will have the same too." and she smiled at Ace. They had only 24 hours to stay in Stars Hollow before they flew to Egypt to cover a story. They were always flying from one place to another until her mother got sick._

The car pulled up to Marty's apartment, the driver came around and opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Rocco and good night." and she walked into his building.

That same evening Logan found himself at HPG headquarters in his father's office.

He did not understand why Mitchum was so interested in Rory, but he decided that the best tactic was to listen to him instead of fighting with him.

Mitchum came rushing into his office and immediately shook his son's hand. He wasn't surprised but wondered what it would take to receive a hug from his father or a good job comment. Logan sat down and sipped the drink that he had made when he walked into the office fifteen minutes ago.

"Ok Dad, I am ready to listen, can you please explain to me what your interest is in Rory Gilmore?"

"Logan, I tried to tell you before, but you were angry that day we spoke. I was wrong. When I saw her at the memorial for Ace Gerrard, I watched you standing there looking at her. I knew then how much you were still in love with her. It's been nine years, and your feelings for her haven't changed."

"A lot has changed in nine years. Rory is not naïve anymore, and she is a very successful journalist and producer. She knows what this industry is like and no longer wears rose-colored glasses."

"Well Logan, I think she is your soulmate, here you are back in the same city. Your mother and I will not stand in your way. You are successful, you have your own company now and you will inherit this business. She would be a fool to turn you down and all this."

"Well Dad, thank you for your vote of confidence but it's not that simple. I am sure that Rory needs time. She is very fragile now. I went to her mother's and grandfather's memorial. She and Emily had a big argument before the service and are no longer speaking to each other. I spoke to Finn and Colin and she is having trouble sleeping at night, having nightmares. This isn't good for her or her pregnancy. They told me that this happened right after her mother had died." Logan told his father.

"Well Logan, this is the perfect opportunity for you to help her. It sounds like she needs a strong shoulder. Remember she was there for you when you needed her most. She even got me to see that you needed help," Mitchum said.

Logan finished his drink and walked over to the sidebar and placed his glass on the tray. Turning he looked at his father sitting at his desk, he wondered if this was the life he wanted and if she would want it too.

"Well thank you for the advice dad."

He then walked out of the door. Logan took the elevator to the garage and walked to his car. He called Robert and asked if he would meet him at the Hamilton. He knew that she sometimes went there and thought that maybe he could sit and talk with her.

Logan walked into the Hamilton and ordered a bottle of Macallan. He went to the back and found a table and sat there and waited for Robert. Ten minutes later Robert came sauntering in the bar. He saw Logan and went over to sit down. Logan had a glass waiting for him. He poured him a drink The waitress came over to take their order and both men ordered the house burger.

"This is a nice place, I haven't been here before," Robert said as he looked around.

"It is a nice place to sit and talk," Logan answered.

Robert was surprised at Logan's comment. Logan never talked to him, he wondered what brought this up.

"Are Finn and Colin going to meet us here tonight?"

"Nah, I never called them. Colin is busy and who knows where Finn is. I thought we could catch up. We haven't seen each other in a few years."

Just then the waitress returned with their food and the bottle of scotch.

"Could I have a water, please?" Logan said to her. She smiled and left.

"Did I hear you right, you ordered water?"

"Well I had a lot to drink last night so tonight I decided I would go slower."

"Interesting, the great Logan Huntzberger has slowed down. Never thought I would see that day. Who are you dating now?" Robert asked.

"Nobody, you?" he asked.

Just then Liza Major walked over. "Logan so good to see you again."

"Yes, Liza it's nice to see you," he replied and continued to eat his burger.

She stood there and waited expecting an invitation to sit down, but when he didn't give her one she walked away.

"Whoa, why didn't you invite that lovely lady to join us?" Robert questioned.

"First, she isn't a lovely lady, and second I wasn't in the mood."

Logan looked around the restaurant hoping to see his Ace walk in. He noticed a few of her coworkers but she wasn't with them.

Taking a sip from his glass, Robert looked at him and asked, "What is going on Logan. This is not like you."

"You said something to me last night that got me thinking."

"I said a lot of things last night, Logan, you will have to refresh my memory."

"You were surprised that Rory, and I never got back together. Why?"

"Logan, you never were a one-woman guy, but when Rory came along, everything changed. Rory was different from the girls we dated. She challenged you, she wasn't impressed with our names, our money, and our shenanigans. She liked us despite the baggage we came with. She made us happy, and you were happy. I haven't met a woman like her and believe me I have been looking."

"My father said something to me today that has me thinking. He thinks she is my soulmate."

"What the Dark Lord said that? I wonder if he knows what a soul is," Robert responded and took another drink.

The waitress came by and asked if they wanted anything else. Logan asked for the check.

"I told him that she is going through a rough time right now and he suggested that I should be available for her like she was there for me. I feel bad that I missed that both her mother and grandfather had died. I wouldn't have known about this tragedy if Steph hadn't called me and asked for help."

"Help why did she need your help?"

"Rory was engaged to Ace Gerrard the journalist that was killed in Nice by the French terrorist. Steph and Rory were having lunch when she got the phone call. Steph called me because I could find out information that they couldn't. The first time I saw her was the day after she found out about Ace. Robert even though she was in shock she was still…."

"Beautiful?"

"Yes, beautiful. Do you think I should be there for her? I don't want to get hurt again."

"And you think she would hurt you? Look, Logan I don't know what to tell you, but if it was me and I had this opportunity to have Rory Gilmore be in my life or even a part of my life, I would chance it. The worst that could happen is that you would be friends." Robert pointed out.

"Yes, still friends," Logan sighed.

Rory opened the door to Marty's apartment and noticed that there were candles lit and a trail of rose petals on the floor. She smiled. Who knew he was so romantic.

She put her purse, keys, and phone on the table by the door and followed the petals into the bedroom. He was standing there wearing nothing but a towel and holding a glass of sparkling grape juice for her.

"What's this for?" she smiled and walked towards him. She took the glass from his hand and sipped it.

He took it from her and placed it on the table next to their bed.

"I think you are a little overdressed," he chuckled. Pulling her close to him he kissed her and unzipped the back of her dress. He placed gentle kisses down her neck and nibbled on her ear. She felt him swell under the towel.

She whispered, "Is that a gun or are you happy to see me."

He let her dress pool to the floor and unclasped her bra He brought his mouth to her breast and sucked on it. "Marty…" she groaned.

Lifting her up he carried her into the bathroom. Standing in front of the counter with the mirror behind her he sat her on it. He quickly removed her panties and looked at her. He looked down at her stomach and bending over he began to kiss it. He looked into her eyes and spreading her legs apart he positioned himself. He gently pulled her forward and entered her.

"Look at me," he said. "Am I hurting you?"

"No this is a-a-a," she never finished because she reached her orgasm.

He smiled and pushed in deeper she leaned into him and began to kiss his shoulder and bite his neck. She felt another wave coming and this time they both climaxed together. She closed her eyes and kissed his neck. She opened her eyes and putting her hands on both sides of his face she looked deep into his eyes and whispered, "I love you."

Tears pooled in her eyes. Marty pulled her closer and kissed her. He carried her into the garden tub where he had prepared the bubble bath that he had made for them. He added more hot water and pulled her so that she was leaning her back to him and they relaxed. He slowly washed her back then her shoulders making sure he massaged her sore muscles. They sat in the tub for a half an hour relaxing talking and kissing.

"So, you love me," he said.

Leaning back and looking up at him she smiled, "Yes, I love you." she answered.

"Say it again, I want to hear you tell me you love me."

"Marty, I love you. You are my soulmate."

"Yes, I am your soulmate. I knew it the first day that I met you, but I didn't know how to approach you. It's difficult asking a girl out once she has seen you naked."

He leaned in and kissed her. "Are you ready to tell people we are a couple now? I know that you were worried that we were moving too fast."

Smiling she said, "Marty, I think we became a couple the first time you kissed me. Yes, I am afraid to make a commitment. I grew up with my mother who loved Luke, but she was afraid to commit to him. They danced around their love for each other for most of my life. But you are showing me that I don't have to be afraid.

Have you ever wondered why all the places you could have passed out naked was in front of my door? We were freshmen, and I had never been away from my mother. I was nervous and there you were in all your glory. I gave you my robe, you put it on. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. Now nine years later when my world fell apart, you appeared when I needed you the most. Was it written in the stars for us to be together?"

He pulled her back to his chest and leaning over kissed her. She turned around and looked at him. "Marty, I was so worried that if I admitted to you that I loved you, you would leave me. But today Brie reminded me how happy you make me, how I can be me. I don't have to run around and please you. I can wear my sweatpants and you still think I look beautiful. I don't have to have a $600 dress on and have my hair done."

"Oh Princess, I love you even when you are hanging your head over the toilet." he teased.

Then he sang to her

" _I met you in the dark_

 _You lit me up_

 _You made me feel as though_

 _I was enough_

 _We danced the night away_

 _We drank too much_

 _I held your hair back when_

 _You were throwing up_

 _Then you smiled over your shoulder_

 _For a minute I was stone-cold sober_

 _I pulled you closer to my chest_

 _And you asked me to stay over_

 _I said, I already told you_

 _I think that you should get some rest_

 _I knew I loved you then_

 _But you'd never know_

 _'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go_

 _I knew I needed you_

 _But I never showed_

 _But I wanna stay with you_

 _Until we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go"_

She put her lips on him and kissed him again.

"I promise you I won't let go, I love you, Marty."

He stepped out of their garden tub he grabbed two fluffy towels and their two new robes he bought today, they dried each other off and put on the matching white robes.

"You never cease to amaze me, Marty. Promise me you will always remember to amaze me and promise you won't let go." she whispered.

Pulling her close he danced with her and continued singing the last part of the song,

" _I'm so in love with you_

 _And I hope you know_

 _Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold_

 _We've come so far, my dear_

 _Look how we've grown_

 _And I wanna stay with you_

 _Until we're grey and old_

 _Just say you won't let go_

 _Just say you won't let go"*_

Lifting her up in his arms he carried her back to the bed. They made slow passionate love to each other.

*A/N "Say You Won't Let Go" by James Arthur


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

As they were laying in each other's arms, she leaned up and whispered, "Hey, Marty? The little guy keeps on fluttering around, I think he's hungry."

He chuckled, "So the little guy is hungry, how about the momma?"

"Yes, I am famished."

"You know we should have a name for him," he said.

"I want to use Gerrard as his middle name," she told him.

"I agree. So, what do you want for a first name?" he said to her as he rubbed her stomach.

"I like the names, Eric, Rick, Craig, Jonathan, Lucas, Cristian, Mason, Maxwell, Aaron but I don't want to name him yet. I think I will wait until he is born and see what he looks like."

"That makes sense, they are all strong names," he said kissing her forehead.

"Why don't you come up with a nickname for him, our special name." Rory giggled feeling the quick movement in her stomach.

"Hmm, I know this baby was conceived in love, why don't we call it 'Little Ace', I am comfortable with the relationship you had with him."

"Really, Marty? Are you sure?"

He smiled at her and nodded.

"Oh Marty, you are so amazing." She reached up and kissed him. "I love you!"

"And I love making you happy, Je t'adore.." he replied kissing her back tenderly.

They walked into the kitchen where she smelled something amazing. In the oven, Marty had put in a pan of lasagna that he bought at the deli. When he got home, he set the oven on time bake so it would shut off and keep the meal warm until they were ready to eat. A trick he had learned from his mother

They sat down savoring their meal and knowing that they had proclaimed their love for each other.

The next morning Rory rolled over and noticed that Marty wasn't there. She checked her phone and noticed it was 7 am. Marty should come back from his run soon. She got out of bed and headed for the shower. She had just finished drying her hair when he came into the bedroom.

"Hi Princess," he said coming over and kissing her.

"Mm, I like that kiss," she said kissing him back.

"So today my parents arrive from Florida and my sister should arrive from Hawaii. I will call you when I know that they are here and then you can let me know what your schedule for the day is. Will that be okay?" he asked.

"Yes, but I am a little nervous about meeting them," she admitted.

"Don't be they will love you. So why don't you put two eggs in the poacher for us in the microwave and I will be out shortly from my shower," he suggested.

"You trust me to make eggs for us? How about pop tarts?" she asked.

Kissing her on the nose he chuckled and said, "You can do it."

She finished dressing, putting on the blue and white striped dress that she had bought when they went shopping in Tribeca. She remembered how cute the shop was and wondered if Marty would take her there again.

She went to the kitchen and took out the eggs and the egg poacher for the microwave. She had watched Marty do it several times. She started his coffee and put the toast in the toaster. Cracking the eggs, she put them in each side and added the water. Placing them in the microwave she put it on for 45 seconds. Suddenly she heard a big pop, she looked at the microwave and everything was a mess. Marty came out just as it popped. She looked at him and then the microwave and cried.

"I told you I shouldn't cook breakfast," she began crying.

He pulled her into his arms and held her kissing the top of her head.

"Hey, it's no big deal. Did you remember to poke the membrane of the yolk before you closed the lid?" he asked her as he began to clean up the mess inside the microwave.

"Poke the membrane?"

He rinsed out the poacher and put the eggs in, showing her how to do it with a toothpick he gently pokes the membrane. He returned the eggs to the microwave while she buttered the toast. When the microwaved dinged he removed the egg poacher and put the eggs on the plate. He put the toast in for the second set and encouraged her to make the eggs. Smiling she remembered to poke the membrane, and the eggs came out perfect.

"See we don't have to live off of pop tarts or frozen waffles."

Kissing her he asked, "Babe, what would you like to drink this morning?"

"Let me smell your coffee, awww, ok I will have a bottle of water."

He brought the coffee and water to the table while she brought their breakfast.

"What day next week is your doctor's appointment?" he asked her.

"Next Thursday at 11:30, do you have a conflict?" she asked.

"Nope but I want to block out that day. Do you think you can take the day off?"

"Well I am not sure now, it depends on the news."

He glanced down at his phone and noticed the time. They both rinsed their plates off and put them in the dishwasher. She went to get her laptop in the bedroom and noticed the black notebooks beside it. She slipped those in her laptop case and grabbing her tote she slipped in a pair of blue flat shoes to wear later. She put on her heels and walked out of the bedroom. Marty came up behind her and put something around her neck.

"What's this?" she asked.

He brought her to the mirror in the hallway and had her look. It was a beautiful gold locket that had the letter K monogram on it.

"It belonged to my great-grandmother Knight. My father gave it to me when I went away to college. He told me that when I met the girl, I wanted to marry to give it to her."

"Marty you have had this for the last 9 years?" she said in amazement.

"Yes, I was waiting to give it to you. I figured we can put our wedding picture on one side and the baby's picture on the other side."

"I love it," she said as she touched her throat. She turned to him and kissed him. "I love you"

"I love you too Rory."

Walking hand in hand they left their apartment and headed out to start their day at their jobs.

Colin entered the office in Hartford early since Marty was in the office in New York City, he decided that he might as well go over his father's old accounts, specifically HPG. He logged into his computer and found the number of the accounts he wanted. He called one of his paralegals to come into his office. When Mark entered, he gave him the list of files that he wanted him to get specifically the dates from 2008 - present. He was wondering what if anything, his father might have been protecting Mitchum from.

In Manhattan, Liam walked into the CBS headquarters on 57 St and took the elevator up to the News Director's office. He was eager to see his good friend Charlie Skinner and see if he could figure out what HPG was up to. He had invested a lot of money into this venture with Logan and he was not about to lose it. He hoped that he could help Logan break away from his father, but now he is skeptical of Mitchum and his hold he has on his son.

Liam Cooper's father Glenn Cooper was an Executive in the film industry. He and his father had a close relationship and when he died in 2006, Liam inherited the family fortune, but all the money in the world would not replace the loss he felt when his father died. Because of this, he had a hard time understanding the relationship that Logan had with both his parents.

He followed Charlie's assistant to his office and walked in immediately. Charlie walked over and embraced the young man. Charlie had known Liam's father and been his mentor when Liam wanted to become a producer. He started Liam as an intern in a cable news network in California and after a few years, Liam was working at TWC.

"Liam it is so good to see you. What brings you to New York?" Charlie asked as he sat behind his desk. Looking at his assistant he said, "Chloe, could you bring us coffee and water." Chloe left the office shutting the door behind her.

"I've moved here about a month ago and I'm living at the Gateway Plaza," Liam said.

"That's a step down to what you're used to isn't it?"

"Actually, I have simplified my life. I found a nice place close to everything and has a beautiful view of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty," he added.

Chloe knocked at the door and then entered carrying a tray with the coffee and water and placed it on the sidebar in Charlie's office. She had also added a bowl of fresh fruit and some muffins.

"Thank you, Chloe," dismissing her he turned his attention back to Liam.

"You've been here a month and you now contact me?"

"I have been rather busy, and I thought I would probably run into you last month at the New Author Event HPG hosted," Liam confessed.

"No, I avoided that circus. Plus, I don't like to see Mitchum Huntzberger try to poach our authors and reporters. So why were you there?"

"Do you know Mitchum's son, Logan?"

"Yes I do, a bright young man, different from his father. He has potential if he doesn't follow in his father's footsteps."

"I definitely agree with you on that. He is a bright young man, a hustler. He approached me a few months ago. He wants to build his own News Studio, calling it ACEN, using the platform that people could receive the news on their personal devices 24/7, so I invested in his new business."

"Very interesting concept, so how much do you own."

"Right now, I have 55% and he has 45%, he would not accept his father's money. I am more of a silent partner, but I am wondering if I should become more active."

"Why?" Charlie asked.

"First, I miss the business, and second let's say some things have surfaced and I believe something's not right at HPG."

Charlie got up and poured himself a scotch and water, and Liam a cup of coffee.

"Do you have information or is it your gut?"

"I need to do some investigating and I was wondering if you could suggest some good investigative reporters to help me."

"I don't know if you knew that one of our best investigative reporters was killed by a van when a terrorist plowed its way into a crowd of people. He also was looking into HPG."

"You mean Ace Gerrard?"

"Yes, you would have liked him. He was an excellent journalist, and this was his last field reporting job. He was slated as the new executive producer of the morning news when this happened."

"I understand it was a tragedy."

Liam didn't want to reveal that he was becoming friends with Rory unless he had too.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"Let me make a call to Chris Walker, he is in charge of the news desks downstairs, see if we can talk to him about it."

Charlie picked up his phone and punched in Cris' number.

"Chris, Charlie, could you come up to my office now. I have someone I would like you to meet. Good, I will see you shortly then."

He put down his phone and looked at Liam saying, "He is on his way."

The two men sat and talked catching up since they had not seen each other in over a year.

Charlie looked up when he heard the knock on his door.

"Chris great, I want to introduce you to Liam Cooper. Liam was with TCN and now is investing in a new News Studio, ACEN. Have you heard of it?

"Nice to meet you Liam, yes Charlie I have heard some rumblings. What's up?"

Chris sat down beside Liam. Charlie then explained how Logan contacted Liam and his interest in opening his own business not under the umbrella of HPG, but breaking away from his father and the Huntzberger Publishing Group.

"ACEN is owned by Liam and also Logan Huntzberger. Do you want to explain more Liam?"

"Chris, Charlie told me that when Ace died, he was investigating HPG. I want to continue with this investigation. But I want to do it quietly. I was wondering if you could suggest any investigative reporters."

Chris looked up at Charlie and Charlie nodded. Charlie knew he would suggest Rory and her staff. Rory needed to know what was going on, but he was worried that it might destroy her when she finds out that when Ace met her he had been investigating her history with the Huntzberger Family. Ace did not expect to fall in love with her. The time of the accident, he was meeting with a person who had information for him on the HPG finances. At first, they wondered if this was a hit, but when they checked it out with their contacts, there were no indications that HPG was involved.

"Ok, let's go down to my office and I will call down first to have my best news team join us," Chris said.

Charlie, Chris, and Liam got up and walked to the elevator. Before leaving, Charlie had Chloe call down to Rory and Dan and asked them to join them in the conference room.

When they were walking through the newsroom Liam saw Rory and Dan. They were talking to one of the producers in the newsroom. She smiled when she recognized him. She then looked surprised when she saw who he was with. Rory and Dan then followed them into the conference room.

Charlie, Chris, Liam, Dan, and Rory entered the conference room and shut the door. Charlie closed the blinds giving them some privacy. Rory and Dan looked at each other wondering what was going on. A beep went off on Rory's phone and she noticed she had a message reminding her of her hair appointment this afternoon at 4. She quickly dismissed the reminder and silenced her phone. Liam watched her and smiled reassuringly at her. She wondered why he didn't acknowledge that they knew each other. She felt awkward, reminding her of the time when she was reintroduced to Marty and he acted like he didn't know her.

Dan leaned over to Rory and whispered, "Lois, are you ok? You look a little upset. The baby isn't acting up is he?"

Rory turned and smiled at Dan and grabbed his hand and whispered back, "I'm ok Clark."

Chris started the meeting, "Dan, Rory thanks for joining us, I want you both to meet Liam Cooper, he is here asking for help to investigate a story we were working on last spring."

Rory sat up and looked at Chris. Could he be talking about the story that Ace was on when he got killed?

Rory didn't wait for Chris to continue, she interrupted, "Liam and I have already met, and I think you remember Dan, Liam. Chris is this about the story that Ace was doing when he was killed?"

"Yes, Rory, Liam feels that we need to continue investigating this story, and I agree."

"What's this about Liam," Rory stated waiting for Liam to answer.

"Rory, I need your help. This information might upset you but before I can go on with my business investment I need to investigate, Logan and Mitchum Huntzberger."

Rory looked at Liam and raised her eyebrows when she turned to Chris. Suddenly she felt her throat close. She swallowed down the tears that wanted to come out.

"You're telling me that Ace was investigating HPG when he was killed?" she stammered.

"Yes Rory, we couldn't tell you because we knew that you had a history with Logan," Chris answered.

"Are you suspecting Logan of something?" she looked at Liam when she asked this question, "Dan do you have any idea why Ace would have looked into HPG? You used to work for them."

Dan sat quietly before he said anything. "I am not sure what was going on when I left HPG, but there was something. Before Logan was engaged to my sister, he was also engaged to the socialite Odette Fontaine. The two fathers had arranged it. According to what he told my sister, he was just getting over a bad breakup. His family was tired of seeing him with models. So, after months of badgering by his father he agreed, but the engagement broke up a week before the wedding when he found out she was pregnant by another man. The Huntzbergers were furious and Logan didn't care because he didn't like her and never wanted to marry her."

Rory sat there quietly and said nothing. She wondered about the notebooks in her office and if they could help Liam with his investigation. Dan looked over at Rory and noticed a tear slip down her cheek. Reaching over he held her hand.

"Hey, are you going to be ok?" he asked.

"Excuse me, but I need to use the lady's room."

Rory got up and quickly left the room. Brie noticed Rory's hasty exit from the meeting and followed her to the bathroom. Rory was leaning against the wall holding herself and crying. Brie walked over to her and immediately hugged her.

"Hey Rory, did you get bad news?' Brie asked concerned.

"I am living his death all over again. I thought I found my way out of this. Last night I told Marty I loved him. I will meet his family tonight. Why does this hurt so much? They tell me to move on, that this is what he would want…. how can I when they now want to investigate his death and want my team to help?"

"Whoa, what? Who wants you to investigate Ace's death? What's going on? Where's Dan?" Brie retorted.

Rory calmed down and felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out of the side pocket of the dress she was wearing. It was a message from Dan: _Lois, are you ok?_

Brie grabbed Rory's phone back and sent this reply: _No, she is not ok. What the F*##*!_

Rory walked to the sink and splashed water on her face.

Looking at Brie she asked, "What time is it?"

"It's one forty-five. Why?"

"Ok if I am not out of the meeting at two -thirty interrupt it, reminding me of my three o'clock appointment. Can you finish setting up the news and produce it tonight with Dan?" she asked

"Yes, Rory are you going to be ok?"

"Yes, I need answers. Hand me my phone, please. Tell Dan I will be out in 15 min. I have to make a phone call."

Brie hugged Rory then handed her the phone. She walked out of the ladies' room and went to the conference room to give them the message telling them how upset she was.

"Liam, is the information we find going to be worth that poor woman's heartache? You know she is carrying Ace's child," Dan asked the men at the meeting.

"I know, and in the short time, I have known Rory I have become fond of her. I don't want to hurt her, but if there is something going on I want to see it stop. What I haven't told you nor has she, is that Mitchum has been calling her asking her for a meeting. I took her home after the Author's Event. He was with Liza Major's and saying things to make her upset," Liam replied.

Still in the ladies' room, Rory dialed the Knight McCrae office and Kathy answered the phone.

"Kathy, this is Rory Gilmore, could you please connect me with Colin. Please tell him that this is very important."

"Mr. McCrae, Rory Gilmore is on line one and she told me to tell you that it is very important that she speak with you."

Marty was sitting in Colin's office going over a brief when Colin got the call. Colin looked over at Marty, Marty shrugged his shoulders. Colin answered the phone and put it on speaker.

"Rory, Hi, is everything ok?" he asked.

"Colin I want you to set up that dinner with Mitchum for next Monday at 7:00 pm. I would like it if you came with me."

"Okay, would you like Marty to come too?"

"No. I think because of my relationship with Marty we might not find out what Mitchum wants."

"Can I ask you why you want this meeting since you were so adamant about not seeing him?"

"Colin, let's say I am curious. So, you will do it?" she asked.

"Yes, any place particular?"

"No just someplace public."

"Okay, I will send you the information when I have made all the arrangements."

"Thanks Colin, is Marty there by any chance?" she asked.

"Yes, he is right here, do you want to talk to him?"

"Yes, give him the phone and take me off the speaker," she told him chuckling.

"Hey Babe, how did you know you were on speaker?" he asked.

"I'm a reporter, you don't think I know when someone puts you on speaker? I do it all the time. I want to tell you that I Love You."

Marty smiled, "I love you too. Do you have an idea when your appointment will end?"

"By six, then I will go home and shower and change. You'll pick me up?"

"I'll be there by six fifteen."

"What? Pick me up at six forty-five and no sooner. If you're lucky I might be ready. Bye."

"Bye sweetheart." Chuckling he handed Colin back his phone.

"So, she said it," Colin said.

"Yeah, she did. It's official we are a couple."

Colin slapped Marty on the back.

"Just think, our sons will grow up together," Marty said with a smile on his face.

"You mean, Rory's son," Colin responded.

"No, my son and your son, OUR SONS. Rory and I have talked about it and I will adopt Little Ace."

"You have named the baby already, she is only 21 weeks. But congratulations man. Wait until I tell Steph tonight," Colin said with a huge smile on his face.

"No, we haven't officially named the baby. She wants to wait to see what he looks like when he is born, but we did decide for now to call him, Little Ace."

Colin walked over to the sidebar that he always has stocked with the finest liquor and poured himself and Marty a drink.

"To Love and Friendship," Colin said. The two men clinked their glasses and then sat down and finished working on their brief.

Walking out of the bathroom she returned to the conference room, looking at Dan, Liam, Chris, and Charlie she said, "Ok I think I will help you. I called my lawyer and he is setting up a meeting with me and Mitchum for Monday."

Dan and Liam looked at her in surprise.

Chris and Charlie said in unison, "You did what?"

"Look for the last 4 weeks, Mitchum has been trying to get me to talk to him. You want information on HPG, let me find out what he wants. I will come back to you and then we can investigate. Liam when we finish with this meeting can you stop by my office please?"

"Rory, are you sure you want to do this?" Dan queried.

"Dan, I have known the Huntzbergers since I was dating Logan when I was nineteen years old and a sophomore in college. I am no longer intimidated or impressed by them. I can handle myself. Gentlemen."

Rory then turned and left the conference room returning to her office. She walked over to her laptop case that was hanging on her coat rack in the office and taking it down, she unzipped the pouch and pulled out two of the notebooks and the scan disks. These were the last things that she kept of Ace's. Maybe she can find out what his assignment was. Liam knocked on her door and she motioned for him to come in. Walking over to her desk he looked into her eyes. She stood up and approached him.

"Tell me why? I thought we were friends?" she asked him.

Taking her hands in his he said, "We are and that's why I'm doing this."

"But your partners with Logan? Can you tell me why Ace was doing this investigation? He lost his life. My unborn son lost his father and my Maman and Papa lost their only child."

Moving closer he looked her in the eyes and said, "Rory something's not right. Before I move forward I have to make sure you are safe."

Sitting down in one of her chairs, he motioned for her to sit next to him. Taking a hold of her hand, he continued, "When I saw how upset Mitchum made you the night of the event I got suspicious. Colin mentioned that you were having dinner and Mitchum appeared with Liza Major again and this time Logan was there. I don't understand the control Mitchum has over Logan. I know that there is something not right. Logan approached me about leaving his father's company. I need to know why."

"Let me help. I know Logan well. I can tell if he is lying. I can get him to share things with me."

"Rory, I can't ask you to do that."

"Liam you're not asking I am volunteering. Plus, you can help me." She pulled out the notebooks and showed them to him. "These notebooks, we found them in my apartment and we found more in Ace's apartment. We also found some cards that were mailed to him and these scan disks. He wrote his notes in French and I can't interpret them. Can you?"

He picked the notebooks up and flipped through them. "My French is very rusty."

"That's ok, Steph can help us." Looking up at him she asked, "Will you help me? I need to find out what he was doing. I need to find out that his death was an accident and that no one did this on purpose." Bringing her hand to his lips he kissed it.

He smiled and said, "Ok. can we meet at the pool in the morning about seven o'clock? We can talk more then."

"Ok, that can work because Marty is running. I will tell him that I am going to start to swim again. I swam before when I was going through some things after my mother died."

"Rory please don't worry, everything will be ok. You will be ok, I promise."

"Are you sure? Liam I don't want to see Logan get hurt. I still have feelings for him and I l always will. They are just not the same.."

"I understand."

Liam stood up and pulled her into his arms. Marty is one lucky guy he thought. Yes, he knew they were a couple, he had watched them get on and off the elevator holding hands and stealing kisses. He turned and went to her office door.

"See you tomorrow morning?"

Smiling she said, "Yes, I will let you know if I can't make it."

He walked out of the door. She took the black books and pulled out her bottom drawer. She put the books in there shutting the drawer she locked it. Her phone vibrated reminding her of her appointment at 4:00. She gathered her things and walked out of her office. She walked over to Dan's office and knocked.

Walking in she looked at him, "Clark, I have to go to my appointment now and I am meeting Marty's parent's tonight. If it is ok, we will talk tomorrow?'

Walking over to her he hugged her. "Ok, Rory we will work on this together. Now have fun tonight. Tell Marty I said hi, and that he's a lucky guy."

Looking at him in surprise she said, "Why is he a lucky guy?"

"Because he has you, and don't look so surprised. Brie has a big mouth," he chuckled.

She smiled and walked out the door waving to him and Brie as she left.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

She walked into her apartment at six fifteen. Anthony had trimmed her hair and styled it. She pulled out her ivory and black trimmed Philip Lim pleated skirt dress. She quickly pulled her hair up so it wouldn't get wet and took a quick shower. She stepped out and got dressed. She was in the bathroom fixing her hair and makeup when she heard Marty come in. She put the locket on around her neck and smiled.

"Where's my girl?" he hollered walking into the apartment. She walked out of their room and into the front room. Standing with Marty were a very handsome older couple and an attractive blond. Marty walked over to her and pulling her to his side he started the introduction.

"Mom, Dad, Gabby, this is Rory, this is my mother Leigh Knight and my father Marcus Knight and my baby sister Gabriella Knight."

Leigh was an attractive blond in her early sixties and Rory could tell by her warm smile that they would be good friends, "Hi it's so nice to meet you." Rory walked over to her, and Leah immediately pulled her into a hug.

"I have waited a long time to meet you," Leah said.

Her husband, a handsome gentleman with gray hair and a beard immediately pulled her in for a hug. "Rory, this is our pleasure. You look stunning." Marcus said.

"Rory, you are more beautiful than my brother has said. I can't wait for us to be close friends."

Gabriella told her giving her a hug.

"Thank you so much, would you like to sit down?" She asked.

"No, I made dinner reservations for us at Carmine's. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes I am."

He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "You look beautiful tonight."

They were standing at the elevator talking when the bell rang indicating that it had arrived. The door opened and out walks Liam.

Rory smiled at him and said, "Hello, Liam."

Liam looked at them and put his hand out and shook Marty's hand, "Marty good to see you again. Hello Rory."

Marty turned and introduced Liam to his parents and younger sister. They then got on the elevator. Gabby paused before stepping on the elevator. Liam turned again and smiled at her and she smiled back.

Liam walked to his apartment and opened the door. It was lonely here. He needed to meet new he dialed Logan's number.

"Hey Logan, what are you doing tonight want to go to that Karaoke bar you were telling me about?"

"Well, why don't you join Finn and me, we are going to his restaurant and club. Burkes' and Wills, it's the Manhattan Cricket Club. We will meet you at the restaurant about seven thirty."

"Great, see you then," and Liam hung up.

As soon as they got in the elevator, Gabby turned to Rory.

"Who was that handsome man?"

"Who he is just a friend of ours. He just moved here from Chicago."

"Hmm, what did he do in Chicago? Is he a politician?"

"No," Rory laughed, "I think he was involved with the Turner Broadcasting industry? Marty, do you know for sure? You have played cards with him.," Rory asked looking at Marty.

"From what I understand, he is involved in broadcast journalism and he is investing with Logan on a new News Broadcasting Station."

The elevator pinged to let them know that they were at the lobby. Jonathan was there and greeted Rory and Marty, and he opened the lobby door for them and then opened the door for the Town Car.

"Marty, is this how you get around the city now?" Leigh asked him. Amazed at the life her son has adapted to."

"Sometimes it is easier, but we also take the Taxi and Uber," he replied

The town car pulled up in front of Carmine's. Marty escorted his parent's, sister, and Rory into the restaurant. He gave his name to the host and they were escorted to their table. He knew his parents would enjoy this restaurant because the food was served family style and the atmosphere was a very relaxing. Marty ordered a bottle of wine for the table and also ordered a cranberry juice with tonic water for Rory. They were looking at the menu and agreed upon cold antipasto for the table, a few plates of pasta dishes and the mixed salad.

As they waited for the antipasto they talked. Marty grabbed Rory's hand under the table and gently rubbed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Rory, Marty tells me that you're an executive producer for the evening news now," Marcus said.

"Yes, I was just promoted last week," Rory said. She was so nervous and took a big drink of her water.

"So Dad, how's Mitch doing? I haven't heard from him in a few weeks. Did he get his new office open?" asked Marty.

"Yes he did, now he has two offices to run but business is keeping him busy."

"Mitch?" Rory asked.

"Yes my younger brother, he is a chiropractor in Virginia. Is he still with Cassie?" he asked.

"Yes he is and maybe now that they are living together I am hoping that there might be a wedding soon," Leah told them.

Suddenly Leah noticed the locket around Rory's neck. She smiled at her son and at Rory and then she poked her husband. She nodded her head at Rory.

"Rory dear, it seems like Marty has kept you a secret from us for many years. We want to get to know you better,." Leah said to her.

"Well, I guess it was even a secret to me." she smiled up at Marty. "But Marty reentered my life in May when I needed him the most. I guess you can say fate brought us together twice."

"Twice?" Gabby asked,"When was the first time, we only knew about him meeting you again in May."

She looked at Marty wondering how she should answer. Marty jumped in and told them the story meeting each other at Yale, ignoring the part about his night of drinking and falling asleep in front of her door.

"So this was the girl that you were with when you met Colin. So nice to meet you. Colin McCrae is an excellent lawyer," Marcus said.

"Well, Marty is one too," Rory said, smiling at him and squeezing his hands.

The waiter came with the wine and the appetizer. She told them that the salad would come up next than their main course.

"So Rory how are you feeling?" Gabby asked.

"Tired and my feet are swelling. But in spite of everything I feel much better now."

"Well, that is normal. Now if you have any problems, Rory, I will be working right here in the city and you can call me." Gabby said.

"Oh, you are?" Rory replied surprised because Marty had not said much about her working here.

"Yes, I start on Monday with Dr. Lawson. I am going to be the new Physician' Assistant in the office."

"Marty, did you know about this? This is wonderful, Dr. Lawson is my doctor."

"No, I didn't, I knew you had a job here but I guess I didn't remember where you said where you were going to work."

"Well Leigh and Marcus, I have something for you," Rory said.

She reached down under the table and pulled out the gift bag. She handed it to Leah. Leah opened the bag and pulled out the tissue paper covered picture frame. Showing Marcus tears came to her eyes.

"Rory, this is amazing. Does this mean that you two will be a family?" she asked.

"Yes and I wanted, well we wanted you to both be "Little Ace's" grandparents," she said.

Leah and Marcus stood up and walked over and hugged Rory and their son.

"We will be very happy to be his grandparents. Marty, I am so proud of you and Rory we want to welcome you to our family." Marcus said.

Rory smiled and tears pooled in her eyes. These were tears of joy. She relaxed for the first time in a week.

Putting her head on Marty's shoulder she said, "Thank you for accepting me."

Gabby came over and hugged her. "Wow, I come back from Hawaii, I get the job of my dreams, a nephew and now a sister." She then turned and hugged and kissed her brother on the cheek. "I can't wait to call Mitch and Cassie and tell them the news.

The evening was enjoyable. Full of stories of Marty as a child and how Marcus met Leah when she was a young mother with a three months old Marty. Rory learned more about Marty's brother Mitchell. Gabrielle explained to Rory how she was an obstetric nurse working in Hawaii for the last 3 months while completing her Physician's Assistant degree. She also was a certified Midwife. They ended up having dessert and talking at the restaurant until ten pm.

Rory was feeling tired and Marty noticed it. He paid the bill and suggested that they do some sightseeing the next day. She told them that she could give them a tour of the studio and maybe meet a few News anchors. Once she was in the car she sent a text to Dan :

 _Clark, I need a favor, can you be at the studio tomorrow around 1 and get your picture taken with Marty's parents. Thanks see you then. Lois._

After they dropped his parents and his sister at the hotel she put her head on Marty's shoulder.

"Marty, today Liam came to the studio and met with Charlie, Chris, Dan and I."

"He did? Why did he come there? Was Logan with him?"

"No, umm when Ace was killed, he was investigating a story about HPG. Liam thinks there is something going on. So Dan and I will help him. That's why I asked Colin to arrange the meeting with Mitchum."

"Doll, are you sure you want to do this? I am worried about you, Rory."

"I will be ok, I have to do this, I have to find out what he was working on when he got killed." Pulling her into his arms he kissed the top of her head. The car pulled up in front of her apartment. They got out and walked hand in hand and got on the elevator.

"I can't say I am happy about this, but you promise you will tell me what's going on?"

"Yes, I promise," she told him. They arrived on the 24th floor and walked to her apartment. They got ready for bed. She slipped on his Harvard T-shirt crawled into bed. He climbed in after and she moved over and cuddled in his arms.

Laying her head on his chest she said, "When my mother died, Ace taught me how to swim laps. I was reading an article how exercise helps during pregnancy. So tomorrow I am going to the pool when you go on your run. So don't worry if I am not here when you get back. Okay.?"

"Sure, if you want I can go with you and we can do laps together," he said.

"No, that's ok. You enjoy running, I don't."

"Hey Babe,"

"Hmm?" she answered. Her head was resting on his chest and he was playing with her hair.

"I've been thinking. Let's move in together. I can either move in here with you or you can move in with me and my sister could sublease the apartment."

She looked up at him in surprise.

"You want us to live together? But when the baby comes where will we live?" she wondered out loud.

"They have a lot of stuff and both our places are small, then there's childcare to think of.. and my work schedule, your work schedule. Do we hire a nanny? I don't want my child brought up by a nanny.." as she rambled tears slipped out of her eyes.

"Oh Princess, I was just thinking that instead of us having clothes in two different places we combine them in one. We could buy a new bed. This will be our bed and when the baby comes we can find a bigger place to live than when we move, we will take the bed with us." he said holding her. "But I have only one stipulation."

"What's that?" she asked looking up at him.

"That it be a King size bed… a family bed so that all of our children can cuddle in it with us. So what do you think?"

"I think that we can do this."

She lifted her head and kissed him. He pulled her closer and deepened his kiss. Rubbing his nose against hers he said, "I love you."

The three men had dinner at Burke and Wills then went upstairs to sit and talk at the Manhattan Cricket Club. It was the first time that Liam had been to this bar and he liked it. When Finn started the restaurant and bar he added rules about etiquette spelling out a dress code and behavior that would make it an enjoyable place to be.

Finn ordered the bottle of scotch from his private stock that he kept here. The men relaxed and talked. The discussion went from the stock market, to travel and then they began to talk about Logan's favorite topic of late, Rory Gilmore.

"Finn, I didn't realize how close you two had become until I returned," Logan said while sipping his drink.

"Yes, we became close, Mate," Finn replied. "I ran into her when she was in California for the Obama campaign. The campaign bus was staying at one of our smaller hotels and I was out there checking on how the hotel was handling this important event. We had lunch and talked. You know she was heartbroken when you gave her that ultimatum. We talked a lot and after that she would text me or call and we became close friends. We dated but we both decided that our friendship was more important."

"You dated Rory?" Logan whispered. ""You knew my feelings for Rory. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Mate, what I was supposed to say? You left, you told her now or never. New never contacted her. Now nine years later, you expect to walk back into her life and pick up where you left off? "

Finn was getting upset. He had feelings for Rory and he was not going to let her heart be broken. They decided that Logan and Finn's friendship were not worth for her to come between but he needed to let Logan know what had happened.

"Rory and I dated period. We valued our friendship more and we decided that it was better that way. I became her big brother, Jess and I became close friends. We were there when she needed us with Richard's, Lorelai's death and now Ace's death Jess and I are not going anywhere, Logan."

"Logan, I know you and Rory dated and you asked her to marry you. I don't understand why, if you still had feelings for her you never pursued her? From what Finn just said she had strong feelings for you." Liam asked.

"I don't know man. I felt crushed, confused and I returned to California trying not to look back. When I did return to Hartford, I kept busy and avoided places where we might run into each other. I followed her on the internet but a few years ago I could no longer find articles that she wrote."

"When her grandfather died, she stopped writing. It was a dark 3 months. Jess moved in with her. Between Jess, myself, Colin, and Steph we finally got her the help she needed," Finn added.

"Yes, I wondered how and when Colin and Steph became close to her," Logan replied.

"When she finished the Obama campaign I had a small party to welcome her back to the east coast and Colin and Steph came. Steph and Colin always had a soft spot for Rory. Except for Lane and Paris, Rory had no girlfriends. Paris was busy building her practice and Rory and Lane have little in common now. So Steph took her under her wing and they became close."

During this conversation, Liam sat quietly and listened. He was trying to gauge Logan's feelings, wondering if they were his own or something that Mitchum manipulated.

"Logan," Liam interrupted, "When you and Rory were together what were your parents' feelings towards her?"

"They felt she wasn't good enough to be a Huntzberger. I think my father liked her and the more he got to know her he respected her."

"I don't understand why they would think that. She is a Hayden and a Gilmore. Her family has a lot of money," Liam retorted.

"Well, Rory's mother left society and raised her alone in Stars Hollow. Her mother was 16 and from what I know her parents didn't marry until she was a senior in college. But that marriage never lasted. She went to Chilton and her grandparent's paid for it and part of Yale. Her grandmother always held it over Rory's head and wanted Rory to grow up in society as a proper society wife. But Rory was raised by her mother to be an independent woman," Logan explained.

"When Logan met Rory, we were all drawn to her. She was independent, innocent, studious, driven. She was not afraid of a challenge or to challenge any of us on our beliefs. Logan, Colin, Robert and I were used to women falling at our feet. Especially, Logan, he would smile and say his name and the girls were dropping their panties at his door. Not Rory," Finn reminisced.

Smiling, Logan remembered the day she called him a miscreant and the day they planned to disrupt her class, Colin, Logan, and Finn…..the boys told Liam how the three men pursued Rory. How eventually Rory convinced Logan to be exclusive and how he cheated on her, eventually causing her to mistrust him. They explained how loyal she was and how she loved with all her heart and soul. Finn understood this since he had been her friend now the longest.

"Logan, what would you do different now if you had the chance to be with her again. She is caring someone else's child. She must have loved him alot if she accepted the ring," Liam asked.

"I would have to prove my love for her." he answered.

The men sat there and continued to drink in silent. Finally they all got up and said goodnight. In the cab ride home Liam thought about what he learned about Rory. Logan had fallen in love with her, but was it a love that could last through the test of time? He still was not any closer to the mystery of Mitchum, Ace, and Cecilie Bouchard.

Marty's alarm went off at 6:30 and she felt him pull her close to him. He began to stroke her arm. She opened her eyes and smiled. She stretched and immediately felt a flutter in her belly. She giggled.

"I think Little Ace is awake." she giggled.

"Oh, then it's my cue to kiss him good morning."

Marty slowly began to kiss her lips, then her neck, lifting her T-shirt, he continued to kiss her breast and down to her belly.

He rubbed it and kissed it. "Good morning little man, Daddy's going on a run. Be good for your mom."

He then kissed her stomach and sat up and kissed her sweetly on her lips.

"Are you still going to swim this morning?" he asked as he went to the closet and pulled out his jogging shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt.

"Yes, when I spoke to Paris last week, she also agreed that it would be good for me. I avoided doing it because it reminded me of Ace, but I need to do it for me too and the baby."

He grabbed his phone and his earbuds off the nightstand, "Well I plan on a long run this morning, I ate too much last night."

She laughed and stood up. She rubbed her hands down his chest and his 6 pack and said, "Well it's only fair that you gain a little weight since I have too."

"Don't start anything you can't finish," he growled as he grabbed her hand before she went down any further. He bent over, and they kissed. "Ok, I am off. Have a good swim then we will decide what we are doing when I get back."

He patted her on her behind as he left the bedroom.

Rory smiled and grabbed her new maternity bathing suit from her dresser drawer before she went into the bathroom. As she dressed she looked at her reflection in her mirror. Her body definitely changed, and she now had a very noticeable bump. She didn't feel comfortable wearing her bikini in public, so she had purchased a two-piece blue Tankini and put it on. It felt comfortable and she felt that she was at least covered when she swam. She pulled on her long cover-up, grabbed her phone, keys and put them in a small bag that she used for the gym. She left her apartment and went to the elevator. Just as she was about to get on she saw Liam coming down the hall. She held the elevator for him and he joined her. He wore his work out gear and also carried a bag.

"Good morning," she said smiling at him.

"Good morning to you too. So maybe we should talk before you have your swim." he suggested and hit the button for the roof terrace. They went to the roof and found a quiet table with two chairs. They were the only ones up there and it was a warm September morning.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"No, I'm ok. So tell me, why do you want to pursue the investigation on HPG. I thought that you felt comfortable with them since you invested in Logan."

"You see that's the key, I invested in Logan, not HPG," Liam said.

"Oh, well how can Steph and I help you?" she asked.

"You said you are setting up a meeting with your lawyer and Mitchum. Isn't Marty your lawyer?"

"Yes and so is Colin McCrae, and I asked Colin to go with me, not Marty. I think I would rather keep Marty out of it," she said.

"I agree since you have a relationship," he replied.

Rory blushed when he mentioned her relationship with Marty.

"Yes, we are in a relationship. I have known him a long time and it seems fate brought us back together," she admitted to him.

"So it seems, well at the meeting I want you to listen to every word Mitchum says and then I want you to call me or meet me later. There's something that's not right. Tell me, does he know who your father's family is?" he asked her.

She tilted her head and looked at him in surprise. "I don't know, he might but it's not something I share with too many people. Even though my father's name is on my birth certificate I never used his name. Why would he care, my name hasn't changed since I was in college and they told me that I wasn't good enough for Logan."

"That I don't know, you knew that Logan was engaged for a while to a French heiress."

"Yes, I read it in the papers. I will be honest Liam, when I read it I regretted saying no. I thought that if I saw him again we might get back together. He moved on and then I met Ace."

Liam noticed that a sad smile came across her face when she said his name. Rory stood up. They had been sitting there for 20 minutes and she wanted to get her laps in before Marty came back.

"I'll send you a text when I find out the time of the meeting and in the meantime, I will see if Steph and I can sit together and translate Ace's books."

Together they both got on the elevator and got off on the Club floor. When they got there she went into the locker room and put her items in the locker. She took the key and put it on her wrist. She quickly put her hair in a long braid down her back and walked to the pool. It was still early enough that there were only a few people swimming. She dove in and started her laps. As she got into the rhythm of swimming memories of Ace resurfaced.

 _They were in Sardinia and sitting looking out at the sea He had brought her here after she had spent two months not eating or sleeping after her mother died. Her dreams were all the same, her grandmother yelling at her telling her that it was her fault her mother had died. Ace had enough, he spoke to Luke and booked their trip. He took her to Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Hotel in Costa Smeralda Porto Cervo, Italy._

" _Do you know the healing powers of the Ocean, mon Amour?" he asked her._

 _She was leaning on his shoulder and enjoying the beautiful breeze and the relaxing sounds of the waves. "No, I don't. Is this some sage advice?" Looking up at him she teased._

" _No, it is fact. It is believed, since ancient times, that the Ocean and sea water leaves you feeling cleansed, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Mon Amour, you need this. We need this."_

" _Rory," he said, lifting her chin so he could look into her beautiful blue eyes._

" _I am a man that has had many women. I must confess this to you, but until I met you I was never in love. Yes, I have made love to many women, but I have never lost myself in love as I am with you."_

 _It was then that he kissed her with all the passion and desire of a man deep in love with a woman. That day they made love for the first time on the beach._

Rory reached the end of the pool and held on to the side. She pulled herself out of the pool and sat there with her feet dangling in the pool. She closed her eyes and thought again about that day. That kiss he gave her reminded her of the kiss that Marty gives her every day. Suddenly she felt someone behind her. She turned and it was Marty in a black Speedo. She smiled up at him and laughed.

He looked at her with a grin and said, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Hi, sexy. Where have you been all my life?" and she leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss.

"Keep that up and I will need a cold shower." he said.

She stood up and dove back in the water. He quickly followed her and they both swam around each other. Liam was in the Club room running on the treadmill that looked out over the pool. He had been watching her swim and saw how her body language changed as soon as Marty showed up. He knew the signs of a couple in love and Marty and Rory definitely was in love. He didn't know how to tell Logan, that he missed his chance with Rory.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Marty and Rory met his parents and sister for breakfast at George's at nine thirty. After their breakfast Leah and Gabby wanted to go shopping. Leah insisted that she take Rory shopping for baby items. The five of them took a cab to Tribeca and Rory took her to a few shops there. Leah was having fun and encouraged Marty and Rory to register for items at a few stores, reminding them that she will be back to help organize a baby shower for her first grandchild. Rory came out with bags of items for the baby and maternity clothes thanks to the Knights. Every time she went to protest, Marty told her to let her do it, it makes her happy.

Marty called his car service when he noticed that they had been shopping for 2 hours. He whispered to Rory that they should get to the studio. She agreed and had lost track of time. She took them on a tour of the CBS studio. Dan had just shown up, so she made sure that they had him join them for lunch. He sat and talked to Marty, his sister and his parents making them feel very comfortable. He took a selfie with them. They left Rockefeller Center by four, so they could get ready to go to see the musical Beautiful.

On Sunday morning, Marty left around ten to take his parents to the airport. Gabby went with Marty to say goodbye. Gabby had decided to stay in the hotel until she found an apartment, not wanting to interfere with Marty's relationship with Rory.

After Marty left, Rory sent Steph a text. and they were going to meet to translate the notebooks. Rory told Marty that she would hang out with Steph and then meet him at his apartment by three. After Marty left, Rory called Jess. She hadn't spoken to him in a while and missed their chats.

Jess was walking to his bookstore. It was ten thirty and he had some paperwork to do. He thought he could work on book number seven, a sequel to Love in a Small Town, while the store was closed. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out.

Listening to the song, _Don't Give Me Those Eyes_ by James Blunt, he knew who it was.

"Who is this?" he teased.

"Hi Jess, I've missed you too."

"So where have you been? Did you make up with Emily yet?"

"No, I don't think it will happen this time."

"Are you ok? Any more dreams?"

"No, I started swimming again and I took your advice."

"Well Gilmore, I'm impressed. Now, what advice did I give you that you took?" He just arrived at his store and unlocked the door. Turning off the security system he walked to his office and sat down. Leaning back in his chair he smiled as he heard her tell him.

"I told Marty how I feel about him," she confessed.

"And you told him you wanted to jump him?" he teased.

"Dodger! Where are you now?"

"I'm at the store in my office. Why?"

"Well I am going to tell Steph to meet me there and then you might be able to help me with something."

"Doogie, I'm busy… "

"Dodger, please? I found some notebooks and cards that were Ace's and it might explain what he was doing when he died."

"Ok, I'll help you. Tell Steph to stop and bring some food when she comes, unless you want to eat "Street meat"," he laughed.

"I will because Little Ace doesn't appreciate the finer foods of the street yet, must be the Gerrard in him."

"Little Ace?"

"Yes, Marty said he needed a name, so I decided to wait for a name until I see him. I told Marty to come up with a nickname and he said since the baby was conceived in love, then he should be called Little Ace."

"Wow, he's a good man, Ror. I'll see you in about an hour?"

"Yes, and thanks, Jess."

He ended the call and got up and relocked his door. It was Sunday and he normally was closed. He didn't want to be disturbed when he was with Steph and Rory. He sat back in his seat and turned on his computer. He pulled up his email account and found the email he was looking for. It was the last message he had received from Ace.

Sookie had come into the diner to go over the books for the Annex and the DragonFly with Luke. It was two o'clock on a Sunday and it was a quiet day in August. Taylor did not have any crazy festival going on and Kirk was home with Lulu and Petal. It was safe to say that they shouldn't be interrupted.

"Hey Luke, how was the memorial service two weekends ago? How is Rory feeling? You know I can't believe our little girl is going to be a mother," Sookie rambled.

"Hey Sookie, Rory is ok, she had a meltdown before I got there, but Marty was there and helped her get through it."

"Marty? Like college friend Marty that she brought by the other day?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, I like him a lot. He is a very down to earth man. Very reliable, dependable he isn't like the other men she has been attracted to before."

"You mean the rich "Limo boy" types that she dated in the past? Yes, Michel and I agree with you. We were saying that Lorelai would have liked him immediately. So what kind of a meltdown did she have?"

"Well Marty was telling Jess and me that the day she arrived at Hartford she did some shopping. She then went to the cemetery alone. She sat there for over 2 hours in the pouring rain. When she came home she was in shock. He put her in the shower and wrapped her up. She told him that she saw 2 men and a woman in the rain mist together."

"Oh wow, is she ok?"

"Well, that's the thing, the next day she was. They went to meet Ace's parents and she gave them this picture." He proudly showed Sookie the ultrasound picture that she gave him in the frame.

"Wait! I see an arrow pointing to...a BOY?!. You're having a BOY! A GRANDSON! Luke that's wonderful. Oh, I must write down ideas for a baby shower and a cake for Rory. A Boy!" Sookie started to ramble.

"Well hold on Sookie, let's wait awhile. But there's more, she went to give Emily the picture and Emily freaked out. Remember how she freaked out when Lorelai died? Well, this was worse."

"Oh no, that's what caused Rory's nightmares."

"Well this time Rory went "Lorelai" on Emily and now they aren't speaking to each other. I am worried, Rory is all Emily has left. She is all alone. I am thinking of going up next weekend and visiting her. Could I ask you to check in on the diner while I'm gone?" Luke asked.

Sookie reached her hand out and took Luke's hand in hers. "Of course, I will, you do what you need to do."

Rory and Steph arrived together with the notebooks and a bag of food from the deli that was near the Silver Towers. They knew that they would get hungry and that Jess kept only healthy food at his office. So, they brought a salad for him, and Rory, but Steph got the biggest Corn beef sandwich. She was 17 weeks pregnant now and was very hungry all the time. She nicknamed this baby her Little Leach because it seemed to be sucking out all her energy. Rory had not seen Steph since she had her ultrasound and she was very excited to hear about the gender. As soon as Steph arrived to pick her up at her apartment she pulled out her picture. Steph and Colin were also having a boy. The girls squealed and knew that the two little boys will grow up together and be best friends.

The girls had texted Jess when they were in front of the store so that he had the door open for them. They walked in and shouted for him.

"In back, ladies." he hollered back. Quickly shutting down his email account so that Rory wouldn't see the email that he was reading.

"So, Doogie, explain to us what this is all about. How can I help you?" Jess said looking at her.

He always was amazed how beautiful she looked no matter what she was wearing. He could see her bump now. She no longer was trying to hide it and was wearing yoga pants and a tunic top. Steph also looked radiant, she had on a flowing dress, you couldn't tell she was pregnant except for the glow. Jess walked over to these two women and gave them both a kiss.

Rory sat down and told Steph and Jess about Liam's request for the investigation on HPG and what Ace was checking into.

Looking at Steph she decided to ask her about Logan's two engagements to see what she knew. It might hurt her knowing more about Logan's engagements, but she knew that she moved on and it was normal that he did two.

"Steph, Dan told us that after Logan was engaged to the French Heiress he became engaged to his sister. Had you met either of them?" she asked.

"It was the fall of 2012, Mitchum gave Logan an ultimatum. He wanted him to get married and if he didn't stop dating the blonde models he would arrange a marriage for him, someone appropriate. Logan was drinking and working. When he dated he dated anyone that was blond that looked like his mother, who we all know he detests. Logan could not stand Fallon, his mother's choice. Logan first met Odette Fontane at a fundraiser in London. They began to go on several dates encouraged by Mitchum. In 2013, Mitcham began to broker a marriage contract for him with this French heiress named Odette Fontane, as Logan referred to it, The Dynastic Plan. Her father was a very wealthy man owning many properties, resorts, hotels, and businesses in Europe. Colin's father helped him with the contract. Marty, Finn, and Colin did not like her or her family and advised Logan not to go through with it. Finn's family also had dealings with him, and this man was heavily in debt with the Chinese and Russians."

Rory and Jess sat there and listened to Steph. He instinctively put his arm around her. He knew that deep down she still had feelings for Logan. One thing he knew about Rory was when she loved, she loved deep and forever. For that, he was thankful because he was the recipient of her love. Even though theirs was not a romantic love, it was a love of true friendship that would last their whole life.

"So, what happened? Did you meet her?" Rory asked.

"Oh yes, we met her and none of us liked her. She would flirt with Marty who would not give her the time of day. She didn't want Finn or Colin around Logan and she instantly disliked me. The feeling was mutual. Logan ignored her, and he told Colin and Finn that they had not consummated their relationship. He told them he had to be passed out drunk before he would be in the same bed with her. By Jan. 2014, the engagement was announced in the paper, the wedding was to be in April. A week before the wedding, Logan found out she was pregnant. He caught her in his apartment in his bed with another man, her tennis instructor. But the ironic part was that the tennis instructor was supposedly not the father of her child. She told Logan that the father of her child had broken up with her and left the country. The Huntzbergers, especially Logan's grandfather went ballistic. The wedding was canceled and the Fontaine's and Huntzbergers no longer speak. Since Colin's father had passed away by then, he had to handle the outcome of the contract since she was the one to be pregnant with someone else's child, a clause that Mitchum had added. Soon after that the Fontane's were arrested for embezzlement and other things. Logan came to the states for a short time and met Kiera Sheppard. That was in 2014 they dated and became engaged, but this time Kiera caught Logan with someone else. Logan returned to London and stopped dating. He came to our wedding, but he didn't stay long."

Rory and Jess didn't say anything. Rory felt sad for Logan, she found love not once but twice. She hopes that one day that he can find it. Rory excused herself to use the ladies room. Jess looked at Steph and gave her a small smile.

"Steph, what do you think she will find out opening up this story?"

"I don't know, maybe some closure? We found these notebooks of Ace's. Liam feels that they might be important, so he wants us to translate them and read them."

"Well ok," Jess picked up a notebook and looked at it. With Ace's help he had learned how to read French, so he walked over to his desk and picked up his dictionary. He sat back in his chair with a pen and yellow legal pad and began reading. Rory returned from the bathroom and looked at Jess.

"What are you doing?' she asked.

"I am reading the notebook. What does it look like I am doing, Doogie?"

"But it's in French," she said.

Steph sat there and watched the exchange of these two people. They acted like brother and sister half the time and the other half like a married couple.

"And what's your point, Rory? Because I didn't attend a fancy boarding school or go to an Ivy League College, I wouldn't know how to read French?"

"No, I just didn't know that you could. I'm sorry Jess, I was just surprised," Rory apologized.

"It's okay, I guess you never knew that Ace and I would call each other and speak French."

"You did?"

"Yeah, we did."

Just then her phone rang. She looked at the number and answered it.

"Hi Colin, were you able to make the appointment for the meeting?" she asked.

"Yes, it is set for 7 pm at Burke and Wills Restaurant. I have told Finn, so he will make sure that we are sitting in a private area. He will be downstairs in the Manhattan Cricket Club, so I will have Marty and Steph wait there for us."

"Okay, I will tell Steph - she's here with me now. I will have Jess meet us there too along with Brie, Dan, and Liam. This way if Mitchum goes down there it will look like friends are having drinks together," she added.

"Good idea. Will you girls be coming back soon?"

"Yes, do you miss Steph?" she teased.

"Of course, Reporter Girl, I do. And I am sure my best friend misses you too," Colin added.

"Okay, see you soon." Rory ended the call.

"The meeting is set up at Burke and Wills for tomorrow at 7. And Colin wants to know if you are coming home soon," she laughed.

"Ror, why don't you leave this notebook with me and I will translate it?"

"Okay, Jess, can you join Marty and everyone at The Manhattan Cricket Club tomorrow night while I meet with Mitchum tomorrow? Steph will be there too."

"Sure, Cindy has wanted to go there, I will bring her too."

Walking over to her he gave her a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"Listen, it is going to be all good. Steph, you and I will go over what you find from your notebook and then we can give the group the translations."

Hugging Steph goodbye he walked them to the door. Locking up after them he walked back to his office and opened the email. Thinking to himself, Ace, I don't think I can keep this a secret from her anymore.

Mitchum was sitting in his office Monday afternoon waiting for Logan to come. He had called his son earlier and asked him to come by around 2 pm. He wanted to find out how he really felt about Rory. He couldn't get a read on him. He needed money or there would not be a company for Logan to inherit. Having made some poor choices in the investments he was having trouble hiding this information from the board. Logan was a member of the board and so were his other siblings. Though he had the controlling interest he knew he was desperate. Logan's two failed engagements didn't help. If Logan had married either one of those two women, the money and stock that they would have brought into the marriage would have made HPG one of the largest Publishing Companies in the world. He would then be able to retire and know that the company was in good hands. His other option was to bring in Acelot Gerrard. True he first heard about him as the possible ex-lover of Odette's, but he was also very wealthy and a journalist from an impressive family, since his father was a French Ambassador. It would help to have ties to the government. Acelot Gerrard would also have made a good investor for the company. He had tried hard to get him to join the company. He was very wealthy and Mitchum would have made him News Director under him and Logan. However, he was shocked that he had turned down his offer and his sudden death caused a problem. Then there were problems with the Fontaine women.

"Mr. Huntzberger, your son is here." Renee his secretary called over the intercom.

"Send him …" before he finished his sentence Logan came strolling in.

"Dad, you wanted to see me? What's this about. I had to rearrange my schedule again today. I was interviewing anchors for my new studio. As it is I had to leave Liam alone, and he had to rearrange his schedule because he was interviewing the production crew."

"How's that coming Logan?"

"Unless I keep getting interrupted, I am on schedule. I am bringing over some of my people from London to work here. We should be up and ready to air by the first of January. 2017," he boasted.

"Good, good. Can I get you a drink?" Mitcham asked as he walked over to the sidebar and poured himself and Logan a scotch.

Logan accepted the drink and looked at his father skeptically, wondering what was going on. He waited for his father to start talking.

"Logan, I need to know your feelings about Rory Gilmore."

"What do you mean my feelings? Why does it matter to you?"

"It matters to you and our company."

"How is that possible? I don't see the connection, Dad. I am not interested in your arranged marriages and right now I must wait and see what's going on with Rory. She still seems to be in mourning and there is also the consideration that she is pregnant. As I told you she has had some losses in her life."

"Logan, I want you to consider if she is an asset to the company and the family. We need talented people to bring HPG into the 21st century. I think with your leadership you would benefit having a partner that could help. It helps too, that she is the heir to both the Gilmore and Hayden fortune. The Hayden fortune alone comes with at least 3 publishing houses in England."

"So, this is your sudden interest in Rory. You found out that she is a Hayden, something she has been all her life. Do you mean this is one of your merger ideas? Another dynastic plan?"

"Logan, I am meeting with her tonight, come with me. We will have a nice dinner, maybe after dinner you two could go somewhere and talk, reconnect."

Logan didn't say anything he just stared at his father. Finally, he finished the scotch in his glass and put it down on his father's desk. Knowing by doing that it would upset his father. He stood up and began walking to the door.

"Logan, I will see you tonight at 7. Dinner will be at Burke and Wills," Mitchum said.

Logan didn't respond. He walked out of the room and didn't look back. Getting into his car he drove over the bridge and headed for Queens. He had the radio on and was listening to Gavin Degraw. The song " **Not Over You** " came on. As he sat in the traffic he listened to the words and he thought of Rory. He wondered why his chest tightened every time he saw her. She still had the ability to take his breath away, and when he was with her he wanted to be a better man. Then he thought of her that day he put his heart out there in front of everyone and asked her to marry him. When she didn't answer he knew… for the last nine years, he tried to forget her. But when Steph called and told him that she was in trouble he knew he had to go back. Was it fate that was bringing them back? He pushed the song on repeat and listened to the words again. Pulling into his parking spot at the studio he found he was singing along with the chorus.

" _ **If you ask me how I'm doing**_

 _ **I would say I'm doing just fine**_

 _ **I would lie and say that you're not on my mind**_

 _ **But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two**_

 _ **And finally, I'm forced to face the truth,**_

 _ **No matter what I say I'm not over you**_

 _ **Not over you**_

 _ **Not over you**_

 _ **Not over you "**_

He made the decision, he would go to the dinner tonight and maybe he would be able to talk to her without Marty around.

Rory was sitting in her apartment and looked at her clock, Marty had called and said that he would meet her at The Manhattan Club at 8:30 after her dinner with Colin and Mitchum. They laid in bed last night talking about what he could want. Marty wasn't happy that Liam had asked her for help to investigate HPG, but once he heard that Jess and Steph were reading Ace's journals he felt better. Rory explained to him that he did not need to be jealous of Jess or Finn. He had been around them enough these last few months to witness how Jess and Finn both interacted with Rory. They treated her as an annoying sister but also their best friend. He understood because this was very similar to the way he interacted with his sister. Ace had been close to Jess especially after her mother died. They would talk every day and email each other. She never asked the men what they were talking about. She remembered how threatened Logan was with Jess, in fact, he even acted that way when they saw each other last month at Steph's. She got up and got herself a yogurt. The baby was doing flip-flops; she was excited to go this week to her next appointment. She was almost 5 months, about halfway through her pregnancy.

Since it was only 5:30, she decided to go down to the pool. She quickly changed into her suit and long coverup. Gathering her keys, phone and bag with her large beach towel she left her apartment and went down to the Club Floor. Entering in the locker room, she got her locker and put her bag inside. She took the key and put in on her wrist she walked to the pool. At this time of the day there was no one there, so she had the pool to herself. She laid her towel on one of the chairs and dove in. She resurfaced and began to float on her back. The sky was beautiful today, nice white fluffy clouds and a blue sky. She closed her eyes and let herself relax and think about her life and the baby inside of her. Her life had changed since Ace died, yes when he left he made sure that she was a very wealthy woman, but she didn't care about the money. She had money but preferred to let Colin's investment firm take care of it. When the statements came each month, she placed them in a locked file drawer in her desk. Ace used to laugh at her.

" _Why don't you open it?" he would ask._

" _Because, it doesn't bring anyone happiness, and it doesn't bring back my mother," she would answer._

" _Mon Cheri, you know you should at least make sure that your money is safe."_

" _I trust Colin and his partner, and I know it is safe. And I am happy with you and the money I make at the studio. If I need to buy a dress or shoes for a function and I can't afford it from my salary, then and only then will I go into my trust fund. This other money? I don't need."_

" _That is why I love you, you see the world as a simple place. You do not look at it through Rose Colored glasses." he then would kiss her face, her eyelids, and her neck."_

Remembering those kisses, she rolled over and began to do her laps, freeing her mind of those memories of Ace.

She had new memories now, Colin's partner, Marty. Why hadn't she asked Colin who his partner was? Probably because of Ace. If she knew it was Marty would she even have looked at him? When she was with Ace, she never noticed anyone else. She was giddy whenever he was around, and he made sure that he was always present in her life, almost afraid of letting her go. She slowed her strokes and again rolled over to float for a few more minutes. Finally, she put her feet down and stood up. Walking in the shallow end of the pool she began to walk up the steps out of the pool. She padded over to the chair and grabbed the towel, drying herself off she wrapped the towel around her and went to the locker room to retrieve her items. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was 6:15, barely enough time to shower and fix her hair. She got on the elevator and arrived at the 24th floor. She opened and rushed in. Quickly taking a shower, she dried her hair and slipped on her black dress that she had purchased the day she was in Tribeca with Marty's mother. She pulled her hair into a side ponytail, thinking of how Marty liked it when she wore her hair like that. She grabbed her purse and checked to see if her phone was there. Then she remembered it was in her gym bag with her purse. She grabbed it and decided to take a selfie in front of the mirror and send it to Marty. She took the picture. She looked at it and smiled. Just then a message popped up, telling her the car was waiting for her. There also was a message from Logan, getting on the elevator she began to read it. She decided she better send the picture to Marty and without thinking she hit send, and by mistake, it was sent to Logan. She put her phone back into her purse and quickly walked out and got into the car. Colin saw her and got out and opened the door for her.

"I can't believe it, "Reporter Girl" you and Steph are always late. You do look good, I may add but it is 7:15." Colin complained.

Rory leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "If it was anyone else, I would be in a rush and be nervous. I am no longer worried about Mitchum Huntzberger, he wanted to see me."

Colin was impressed with this confident Rory, he hopes that Marty appreciates what he has in this woman. He knew Ace did, but there was something about Ace that bothered him at times. He seemed to be a man that held mysteries. Now that Steph was reading the journals, he began to worry about what they might find out.

Rory wondered why she hadn't received a message from Marty, so she sent him a quick message.

" _Hi, how come you didn't comment on the picture I just sent?"_

" _What picture?" came his response._

" _I sent you a picture of me."_

" _I didn't get it."_

" _Huh, I was in the elevator when I sent it, I will send it again."_

She quickly found the picture and hit send. Suddenly her phone dinged.

" _You look beautiful, but aren't you going to be late? This must be driving Colin nuts."_

She giggled when she read it. Colin looked up.

"What's so funny? Are you sexting Marty? If so I don't want to know," Colin teased.

"OMG, Colin, no I'm not sexting Marty, he asked me if I was driving you nuts because I'm late."

. "You and Steph can drive me nuts all you want." Colin smiled at her and took her hand.

 **A/N Not Over You by Gavin Degraw.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

Just then the car parked at the front of the bar/restaurant. Burke And Wills was below the Manhattan Club. The valet opened the door to the town car, and she got out. Colin followed and placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her down the stairs into the restaurant. Colin gave his name and told them that they were with Mitchum Huntzberger. The host led them to a table in the back of the restaurant. Rory had never been downstairs, and she found the restaurant beautiful. Finn and his partner did a wonderful job decorating it and bringing in the flavors of his home country. As she approached the table, she noticed that Mitchum was not alone. As they got closer, she saw Logan. Their eyes met, and he gave her his slow sexy smile. She smiled back and felt herself blush.

Both men stood up as they approached. Colin and Logan hugged and slapped each other on the back and shook Mitchum's hand. Rory stood there watching the men.

Logan walked over to her and embraced her. Whispering in her ear he said, "The picture you sent a few minutes ago was beautiful, but I must say Ace, you look breathtaking in person."

She pulled away in shock. Picture? OMG, she thought, I sent it to Logan. I started to read his text and must have attached it to a reply to him. Her eyes got big, she nodded to Mitchum and sat down. She immediately felt her hands get sweaty. She picked up the napkin and quickly unfolded it. Putting it in her lap she rubbed her hands on it. She felt herself get shaky. Colin noticed right away that she was beginning to shake, remembering this from her behavior when her mom had died. Something was bothering her.

He quickly took her hand in his and leaned in and whispered. "Remember to breathe slowly, then take a drink of water. You will be ok. I am here with you."

These words came to him automatically, he remembered Ace telling her this when they had been together, and she began to panic. Slowly he felt her trembling die down. She looked at him and smiled. He smiled back. Mitchum was observing this exchange between Colin and Rory. To him they seemed very close. He wondered if this was going to be a problem and if Colin had a lot of influence over her. He was annoyed that they were late, thinking that she wasn't going to show up but was relieved when he saw her walk in. She walked in with an air of confidence, but noticed that as soon as Logan embraced her and whispered in her ear she appeared upset.

"Rory, what can I get you to drink? Colin, I ordered your drink, they didn't have the Macallan, so I ordered Lagavulin neat, I hope that will be ok.?

Colin nodded still holding on to Rory's hand. He knew that Mitchum was like a shark and he always found a weakness in a person before he attacked. He obviously knew that Logan was Rory's weakness, and that is why he was here.

"Club soda with lemon please," Rory said with more confidence in her voice.

"Logan, I haven't spoken to you since you came to the memorial in Hartford. How is your business going?" Colin asked.

The drinks arrived, and Rory took a sip of her club soda. She looked at Mitchum's gray eyes and wondered to herself how could he be the father of Logan. The waiter asked if they were ready to order. Rory picked up her menu and began to look at it.

"Kangaroo Burgers? They really eat that in Australia?" she said in alarm.

"Ace, if Finn was here he would tell you it was a delicacy," Logan said.

"Both Logan and I had them before and they are good," Colin added.

She felt like she was going to throw up. She looked at the three men and said, "Excuse me but I need to find the ladies room."

The waiter noticed that she didn't look good and escorted her quickly to the ladies room by the bar. Rory made it just in time, losing everything she had eaten. She sat on the floor for a while not daring to move with her head resting on the cool porcelain. She heard the door open and Logan calling her name.

"Rory, hey are you ok?" he called.

She flushed the toilet and slowly got to her feet. Wobbly, she walked out of the stall. He entered the ladies room and walked over to her, putting his arm around her, he guided her to the lounge that was set up in there. He walked over to the sink and got a wet towel. He walked back to where she was sitting, placing the towel on the back of her neck he put her head on his shoulder.

"Seems like whenever we are together you get sick," he teased.

"Sorry, I've been doing so well. I haven't been sick in a while."

"So, I take it the picture you sent wasn't for me?" he asked.

"Oh, no I sent that by accident, I was reading your message and I went to send the picture to Marty…" she whispered.

"Hey, look at me," he said, "It is a beautiful picture of you. Thank you."

She smiled up at him.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Good because I had Colin order for you, He ordered the Heirloom tomato salad, and the Fettuccini. I also ordered a cup of tea for you too."

"Thank you for taking care of me again, Logan."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Hey anytime. I think I owe you that. Come on. Let's go and see what the Dark Lord has up his sleeve."

She smiled at him and laughed. "So, you're just as clueless as we are?"

"Yes, I am," he told her as he accompanied her back to the table. But after the conversation in his office earlier today, he was beginning to wonder what her relationship with the Hayden's had anything to do with his father's plans.

Mitcham and Colin stood up as she came to the table. Logan pulled out her chair, and she sat down.

Colin leaned over, "Are you ok?"

She nodded. A pot of tea appeared, and immediately the waiter poured it in a cup for her. She smelled the ginger tea and smiled gratefully at Logan. He remembered that the ginger tea settled her stomach. She sat there inhaling it and immediately began to relax.

"Rory, I remember Shira getting sick at every meal when she was pregnant with Logan. We had to leave many restaurants. Do you feel well enough to stay, we can reschedule," Mitchum said with concern in his voice.

"Thank you, I will be fine. Now can we start talking about the reason for you insisting that I meet with you," Rory said getting right to the point so that she didn't have to stay a minute longer than was necessary.

Mitchum was surprised at this, suddenly she was in complete control of the situation.

He cleared his throat, not expecting her to be so forward, "Well, I felt that I needed to see if you were still interested in working for HPG."

Rory leaned back in her chair and put her hand on her stomach. The baby was doing somersaults inside and started to become active. Looking at him she cocked her head to the side and smirked.

"Now what gave you the idea that I would want to work for HPG, when in the last 9 years I have never once contacted any of your papers, publishing houses or spoke to any of your journalist inquiring about a job?" she said.

The waiter arrived with their side's and put the tomato salad in front of Rory. She smiled and told him thank you and noticed that Logan was smiling at her.

"What?" she looked at Logan and asked.

"You, Ace, you're still the same," he said.

"Ha, you wish Logan, but I'm not." she replied. "So Mitchum the answer to your question is no, I am not interested in working for HPG in any capacity."

"Well what if I could offer you some stock into the company?" he said.

Logan and Colin looked at Mitchum in surprised. What game was he playing Colin thought, his company is not on the open market? Why does he want to offer her stock into HPG?

"Dad, what are you talking about, why would you offer Rory stock in HPG? You wouldn't offer them to Josh and Honor and they are family."

"Logan, I feel sorry for Rory. She lost her fiancé. I thought that I could offer her some financial stability."

Rory began to laugh.

"Thank you very much Mitchum, but it isn't necessary. Colin can let you know that even before Ace died, I was financially set for the rest of my life. My great grandmother and grandfathers made sure of that."

Colin had been sitting quietly throughout the whole meal. Watching Logan and watching Mitchum. He saw the shock in his best friend's face when his father offered Rory her stock in the company. He also noticed the concern he had in his face when Rory left for the bathroom. He was getting up to go after her when Logan said to him he would go. He wasn't sure if he should have let him, but they seemed ok when they returned. Just then Rory looked at Mitchum and shook her head.

"Mitchum I don't believe that is what you really want. Can you tell me why you brought Liza Majors over to meet me at your party? And who is Cecilie Bouchard? What does she have to do with me and my dead fiancé?"

"Rory, Liza Majors and Cecilie Bouchard had close relationships with Ace Gerrard. Liza wanted to meet the woman that won his heart."

"Mitchum I don't believe you. But thank you for the dinner. Colin, I hope you don't mind but I want to go home," she said as she stood up and looked at Logan.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she said softly to Logan.

Logan walked over and embraced her, "You don't need rescuing." he said gently kissing her on the forehead.

He shook Colin's hand and said, "I will call you both soon."

Colin nodded at Mitchum and escorted Rory out of the restaurant. As they walked out, he asked her if she wanted to go upstairs and see Marty. She nodded, and they went upstairs, not waiting in line they walked in and headed to the back room where Colin knew that their group would be waiting. Marty had been watching for them and immediately noticed how pale she looked. He went over and pulled her in his arms.

"Hey, Princess, you don't look good. Let me take you home," Marty said immediately walking over to her.

Looking at Colin he asked, "What happened?"

"She was sick right after she looked at the menu. Before that I saw her trembling," Colin told him.

Marty wrapped his arms around her and escorted Rory out and gave the valet his ticket. When the car came they quickly got in and headed for his apartment. Inside the bar, Colin was explaining to the group what was said.

"Jess, do you remember when Rory's grandfather died and again when her mother died, she started trembling? That's what she did tonight. She walked into the restaurant with confidence and then she saw Logan."

"Did he do or say anything to her?" Steph asked.

"Bloody hell Mate, I will kill him if he upset her, or if Mitchum upsets her," Finn added.

Colin shook his head, "No Logan did nothing that I know of."

"What did you find out? Why did Mitchum want to meet with her?" Liam asked.

"That's the interesting part. According to Mitchum, he wanted to offer her a job at HPG, but she refused. She basically told him that she was not interested, and Logan seemed surprise that he offered it. It seems that Logan has no idea what is going on. Then when she turned it down, he offered her stock in the company. When Logan questioned him on this, he said he felt sorry for her and the child and wanted to make sure she was taken care of. She immediately told him that she did not need the money, nor was she interested in the money."

Liam sat there taking this all in. He looked at Dan and Brie.

"I think there must be money problems with HPG. I am not sure, but Logan has pulled his money out of the company and invested in his own business. I think that's what Ace might have been investigating." Liam speculated.

"I agree, something is up. The HPG Board would not be happy if Mitchum started selling stock, so it must be his own that he is offering," Colin said.

"I am going to talk to Marty about this, because this is Marty's specialty. He is one of the top Financial Lawyers in the State. It was a coup for me to get him to be my business partner. Rory never knew till recently that Marty has been the one handling her money. All her paperwork is under Hayden and I don't think that Marty ever made the connection," Colin added.

Just then the group noticed Logan entering the backroom where they were all sitting. Luckily Marty and Rory had left.

"Hey Mate", Finn said and stood up to give Logan a hug and pat on the back.

"I have a bottle of Macallan out," he nodded to Jason his usual mixologist to bring over the bottle and a glass for Logan.

Logan took the drink and smiled and said hello to everyone. Steph looked at him and shook her head.

"Logan can I have a word with you?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. He never knew with Steph if she was going to yell at him and tell him off or advise him. But he knew she would be brutally honest.

Steph and Logan walked away from the group and sat down at a booth that was very secluded. Colin watched them walk away and raised his eyebrow at Finn.

Finn walked over and put his arm on Colin shoulder and quietly said, "Steph loves both Rory and Logan. She will find out what Mitcham is up too."

"Logan what's going on? Colin just told us that Rory had an episode at the restaurant. Is she ok?"

"Steph, I don't know she was looking at the menu and suddenly turned white and ran to the bathroom. Seems like lately whenever she is around me she gets sick."

He tried to laugh it off, but she could tell that it was upsetting to him.

"Logan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Steph," he smiled. Even if he had said no, Steph would have asked him, anyway.

"Do you know why Mitchum wanted to meet with Rory?"

Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand he answered, "No Steph I really don't. He offered her a job which I knew she would refuse, but then he offered her stock in the business, almost like he wanted to pay her for something. She directly told him she wasn't interested and left us sitting there. My father was speechless. When I asked him what was going on, he said nothing I should be worried about. Which makes me worry."

"I think you should talk to Liam and Colin," she said.

"Yeah, I do too."

They got up and joined the group. Jess and Cindy were sitting quietly with the group. Spending most of their time talking with Liam, Dan and Brie. Jess liked Dan and Brie and felt very comfortable around Dan. Jess wanted to trust Liam, but he was hesitant since he was partners with Logan. He was beginning to worry about the information that he had read so far in the notebook. He knew that he needed to talk to Finn and Colin about it and soon. Jess got up and walked over to Colin and Finn. Colin and Finn helped him support Rory when her world started to fall apart. Rory brought these three men together and now they trusted each other.

"Finn, Colin can I talk to you for a minute," he asked when he joined them.

"Sure Mate, what's up." Finn asked.

"Colin, I know you are aware of those notebooks that belonged to Ace that Steph found, but I don't know if Finn knows about them." Jess replied.

Finn looked at Colin and answered, "No, what notebooks?"

"Well apparently Ace kept notebooks when he worked, two small ones and four larger ones. Marty and Rory found two when they were moving out his clothes and then Steph was cleaning his apartment and found the others," Colin answered.

"Yes, here's the thing, they were written all in French. Ace also had sent me an email just before he left. I think you two better come over to my office sometime soon and look at the email and read what I translated so far."

"Why Mate, do you think this has something to do with Logan and HPG?" Finn asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe indirectly but it will definitely be devastating to Rory."

"Ok, I'll give you a call tomorrow, should we include Marty?" Colin asked.

"Why don't we look at what I found out first, then we can decide if Marty should get involved."

Marty had brought Rory back to his apartment. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She undressed and hung her dress on the hooks in the bathroom. She got in and stood under it. She let the water cascade down her back and closed her eyes. All she saw were Logan's eyes, she could feel his arm around her and his breath on her neck when he whispered in her ear. She began to cry. She turned off the water and dried herself off. She wrapped herself in the fluffy robe that Marty bought her and crawled into his bed. Marty let her go into the bathroom by herself. He knew something was bothering her and knew her well enough that if he asked her to tell him what was wrong, she wouldn't answer. So, he gave her some space and turning on the kettle he made some tea.

"Hey Princess," he said walking into the room. "I brought you a cup of tea."

He saw her laying in the bed with her robe on. Her hair was still damp. Still dressed he crawled in bed next to her and pulled her to him.

"Thanks'" she whispered. Kissing her on her forehead he began to stroke her head.

"Marty can you just hold me?"

"Let me put some music on and we can lay here until you fall asleep, OK?"

"I Love You," she said and kissed him.

Marty kissed her back and got up off the bed. He went and turned on his iPod and put it on to the Sirius Coffee House station. He took off his clothes and returned to the bed in his silk boxers. The two of them got under the blankets and he pulled her close to him. The music was soothing and soon he heard her breathing even out and she was asleep. He reached over and turned off the music and pulling her to him he lay behind her and wrapped his arm around her. He hadn't been asleep more than two hours when he felt her tossing and turning and beginning to moan. Leaning over he kissed her temple, and she began to calm down.

 _Rory found herself walking through a glade. She was heavily pregnant and wearing a flowing white gown. Her hair was in a loose braid down her back. She was carrying a basket of sea shells and telling her unborn baby that his daddy loved the ocean and sea._

 _As she walked out of the glade, she saw water. She then walked toward it and noticed that it was not a lake but a sandy beach. She began to walk towards the water and bending down she continued to look for more seashells. Suddenly she heard someone calling her. She turns to where she hears her name being called. It is Logan standing by the glade with his hand reaching for her._

" _Rory it's time, we need to get back to the castle, it's our wedding day."_

" _What are you talking about Logan, what castle?"_

 _He pointed up toward the Mountain behind him and there stood a Glass and Silver Building. It looked like the HPG headquarters in England._

" _No, I don't belong there. I am happy here in the glade."_

" _No, you must come with me, you know I have always loved you. We will rule the kingdom together, it has been planned."_

" _But my child needs to be here by the sea."_

" _Your child can stay here, you must come with me."_

 _Rory screamed NO and began running, she ran and ran looking for an escape. She sees a row boat and pushes it into the water. She pulls the oars and tries to get away from the shore, but she is going around in circles. She started to scream,_

" _Marty, where are you. Marty"_

 _She hears him say, I am here Princess, but she can't see him. His voice is mixed in with the fog that surrounds her. She feels like she is suffocating._

Suddenly she gasps for breath and sits up. Marty is there holding her, and she begins to sob.

"Princess, I am here beside you. Everything is going to be ok."

Kissing her forehead, he notices how damp her skin is. He leads her to the bathroom and runs the tub again. He removes her robe and his boxers and lifts her in the tub with him. He fills the tub and leans her back into his arms. He gently undoes the braid and lets her hair fall to her shoulders. He gently massages her neck and shoulders and he slowly begins to feel her relax.

Leaning back into him, he asks her, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not yet. Just hold me. Promise you won't let go?"

"I promise Angel, I won't ever let you go."

Returning to their room they lay down beside each other again. He was worried. Once she was asleep, he got up and pulled his robe on. He walked into the other room and grabbed his phone and shot off a text to Jess. It was three in the morning, but he knew if he didn't respond now he would at least be able to talk to him tomorrow morning.

Immediately his phone lit up and buzzed. It was Jess.

" _What's up -J"_

" _Rory just had a terrible nightmare. I calmed her down, but I am worried. Are you available to meet for a run on the High Line tomorrow? -M"_

" _Sure, how about 7? - J"_

" _Great I will meet you at 7, we can talk. - M"_

Marty shut down his phone and walked back into the bedroom. Setting his alarm at 6:30 he rolled over and pulled her closer to him.

The alarm went off at six thirty and Marty felt Rory move beside him.

"Good morning, Beautiful," he said kissing her on the forehead, "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm going to go to the High Line to run this morning. You can go back to sleep."

"No, it's ok, I have to use the bathroom and then I'll get something to eat and go to the studio early today. I want to be able to take the whole day off on Thursday for my appointment."

He got dressed and kissed her goodbye as he headed out the door. Rory got up and took her shower. She got out her Pink and white dress that she bought when she went shopping with Marty and his parents. She put the kettle on to make herself some tea and sat down to have her breakfast of granola, yogurt and berries. She thought about her mother and chuckled to think of what she would say if she saw what she was eating. She packed some fruit and snacks to bring to work. She looked at the clock, it was seven thirty, she was surprised that Marty wasn't back from his run. Sitting at the breakfast bar she opened her tablet. She opened her personal email and noticed an email from Logan. She opened and began to read it.

 _Ace,_

 _I want to apologize for dinner last night. I have no idea what is going on wit myh_

 _father. I hope we can see each other, I miss you._

 _Love,_

 _Logan._

Rory closed the email and felt a lump in her throat. She thought about Logan, the love they had shared, the fun times, then she thought of the sad times. She closed her laptop and placed it in her case. Just then the apartment door opened and in walked Marty. He looked sweaty, and could tell he had a good run. He threw this keys in the bowl on the hall table and walked toward the kitchen. She got up and walked over to him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Did you have a good run?"

Kissing her back he answered, "I did."

He went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. He went back to the breakfast bar and sat on a stool. He pulled her to his lap. Moving her hair off her neck he began to kiss it.

"You had another nightmare last night, Hon. Are you feeling any better now?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"I am now that you're holding me in your arms," she whispered.

"Good," he turned her around and gave her a long kiss. Rubbing his hands up and down her arms he told her, "Let me take a quick shower, then we will leave. I will drop you off at the studio. Do you want me to pick you up later this afternoon?"

"That's ok, I think I will take either a taxi or an Uber back to my apartment. I have laundry to do and I want to send things out to be dry cleaned. Do you have anything that needs to be cleaned?"

"I left a laundry bag at your place, so if you want to add them with yours I wouldn't mind, but I am fine doing my own. I have been doing my own laundry for years, you know."

Kissing her on her nose he got up and headed for the shower. While he was in the shower, Rory took out her phone and sent a message to Dan and Brie telling them she should be in the studio shortly. She then opened the message, from Logan, that she had started reading yesterday when she accidentally sent him her picture. She and Logan needed to start at a place of friendship. Reading it he had asked her if they could have dinner or lunch occasionally. He realized that she and Marty were seeing each other, but he wants to be her friend. She quickly responded

 _Logan,_

 _I would like that. I think we need to talk to each other. We must straighten out what happened in the past, so we can move forward._

 _Rory._

Marty came out of the bedroom dressed and ready, the two of them left the apartment and went to his car. When they arrived at Studio 57, he pulled his car in front of the building. He gave her a kiss goodbye, and she got out of the car.

"Call me when you get home," he told her. "I have to go into Hartford, so I probably will be back by six."

"That's ok, I have a lot to do, don't forget we have an appointment tomorrow."

"Angel, that is something I can't forget. I love you." he said kissing her goodbye.

"I love you too," she whispered when he finished kissing her. He then kissed her nose and left. She walked into the building saying hello to the receptionist and security and got into the elevator that went up to her office.

Marty pulled his car into traffic and drove over to Jess' apartment on 43 St. When he arrived, he went up to the 15th floor. He knocked, and Jess answered the door. Marty had told Jess about the nightmare earlier that morning while they were running. He also explained to him how she acted when they got home last night. They called Colin and decided to meet at Jess' apartment to talk and look over what Jess had translated. Jess made Marty coffee, they sat and talked while waiting for Colin.

"Jess, this nightmare was worse than when she came home after her argument with Emily. She sat up from her dream and she was soaking wet with sweat. I got her in the tub and massage her neck. She relaxed and later fell asleep. She was fine this morning. She didn't talk about the dream at all."

"That sounds familiar. But you said she was fine this morning?"

"Yes, she got up after I left for her run, when I came back she was showered, dressed and even ate breakfast."

"Huh, seeing Mitchum or talking to him must have triggered it."

"Do you still think I should talk to Luke after this? Do you think he will help?" Marty asked.

"I think so. He understands Rory the best. He was a big help when her grandfather died, but he also was dealing with Lorelai at the time. Both women took it hard."

They heard a knock at the door and Jess let Colin in.

"Nice place, Mariano. The new book must have done well," Colin said.

"Yes, it did. Why are you surprised?" Jess asked

"Not at all, I have read the other five, and you said this one is about two star crossed lovers, sounds like a good story."

"Well it's loosely based on Lorelai, Rory, and Luke." Jess admitted.

"That might be something Steph would want to read," Colin said, "So Jess what do you and Marty want to talk about?"

"Colin, I never got to talk to you. But I saw how Rory looked when she came into the restaurant do you have any clue what caused this?" Marty asked.

Colin accepted the coffee that Jess handed to him and the three men sat, and he explained what was said and her reaction. He was as confused as they were. Then Jess got up and walked over to his desk. He pulled out the yellow legal pad and the notebook. The notebook he had been translating began in January of 2012.

'Ace is in France in 2012 and makes mention that he had met the Fontane family." Jess says.

"You mean the same family that went bankrupt in 2013 and had ties with the Russians?" Marty asked.

"What do you mean Marty?" Colin asked.

"Yes, do you remember when I first joined the firm, I was working with the FBI on some finance companies in Europe," Marty explained.

"Yes, I do, and you couldn't talk about it at the time because it might go to trial," Colin said.

"Well this family was involved with money laundering," Marty added.

"Well this is interesting, I wonder if Ace was investigating this." The men sat and talked until 9:30. They all had to leave, and Marty wanted to get to Stars Hollow to talk to Luke about Emily and the dreams Rory was having. Jess suggested that they meet later in the week when he had time to translate more. Shaking hands, they left. Marty and Colin returned to their office. He worked until 1 before he drove out to Stars Hollow to see Luke.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

Rory had a busy morning. Stories were coming in from Brazil covering the Summer Olympics. The presidential election was heating up and they spent time chasing after theories over one of the candidate's unorthodox behaviors. Rory was having a hard time focusing. She was getting up often and walking around her office. She kept on thinking about the dream last night, about Mitchum and those black notebooks that Jess and Steph were translating. She also thought about Liam and his concern for Logan. Then she thought about her reaction when Logan whispered in her ear. She knew she had a strong desire for Marty. She was positive it was love, so different than what she had with Logan, but why was Logan stirring up these old feelings. She needs to move on.

"Rory, are you ok?" Dan asked. She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"What's going on? You looked upset when you walked into the Manhattan Club last night. What did Mitchum and Logan do?"

"Dan it's not what they did, it was all those old memories that came back. I don't know…" she said.

"Listen, Brie and I are worried about you and the baby. You have more than enough time to take off. I can't have my executive producer falling apart. Rory, you need to take time for you and your baby. This should be the happiest time of your life. You don't seem happy. Why don't you go home and relax?"

"Dan, I can't…"

Just then Brie walked into her office. "Hey Rory, we can't have you sick or have anything happen to that baby," she told her. Brie went over to her. She handed Rory her purse and Laptop. "Go home. We can face time later."

"Ok," and she got up and walked out of the office. Rory walked down the street to The Bread Market. She decided to have some lunch before she returned to her apartment.

As she walked down the street her phone rang. She looked down at the number and noticed it was Logan. She answered it

"Hi, Logan," she said.

"Hi, I got your text, is this a bad time to talk?" he asked.

Rory had stopped walking and entered the restaurant. "Hold on Logan I just entered into the Bread Market," she said.

"Can I join you?" he asked. "I happen to be leaving my apartment now, I could meet you in about 10 minutes."

"Ok, I will get a table," she said and ended her call.

She went up to the host and asked for a table for two. He recognized her since she came here often and brought her to a table right away. She asked for ice tea with lemon, not knowing what Logan wanted she ordered him a Martinelli. She relaxed while waiting for him and looked over the menu trying to keep herself distracted from her thoughts. She looked up noticing his blond head walk towards her. She smiled, he came and leaned over giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, thanks for ordering me something to drink." He took a sip of the sparkling cider was happy to get your text this morning. I was afraid I would never see you again after last night. I would understand if you didn't want to see me," he said sadly.

Rory looked at him and reached over and took his hand in hers. "Logan, we have changed so much in these last 9 years and we never had a chance to talk after..."

Holding her fingers in his hand across the table he looked at those beautiful blue eyes. He always got lost in them. He wondered why he let her go, and if there would ever be a chance for them. He remembered what Robert said, "I would do anything to have her in my life, even just as a friend." He knew he had to start there.

"Yes, we need to talk." Letting go of her hands he picked up his menu and began to look through it. "Do you know what you're going to have Ace?"

"Yes, I do, it's my favorite, the Italian Wedding soup, and the Bowtie Pasta side salad," she said.

"Hmm, that does sound good." Just then the waitress arrived, Rory told her what she wanted, and Logan ordered The Chicken Parmesan sandwich.

"No Kangaroo Burger today, Logan?" she teased.

"No, but I promise you, I won't tell Finn that the sound of that made you feel sick," he laughed.

She smiled at him.

"Are you on your lunch break?" he asked.

"Actually, I am on my way home. I decided to stop and have something to eat," she said quietly. Tears began to pool in her eyes.

"Ror, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"It's just hormones," she said not ready to confess about the dream she had last night and the feelings he was stirring up.

"Dan and Brie were concerned about me. He felt that I needed to rest and take care of myself and the baby. It was Dan that insisted that I leave and take a vacation day. He is a very nice guy and we work well together. Logan, what happened to you and his sister?"

Logan looked into her eyes, then hung his head. He looked up again at her and said,

"Honestly, Rory...I couldn't marry her."

"Then why did you ask her?" she asked.

"I just broke up with another woman, someone my father arranged. It was going to be a marriage that would bind the two families together. My father's big dynastic plan. Well, it didn't work out, and I was relieved. Then I met Dan's sister she was young, and we had fun together, She enjoyed the life that I was leading, you know, the parties, the red-carpet events, the galas. She moved in and things began to get serious. She was pretty, smart, but…"

"But what Logan?"

He took a sip of his drink and looked deep into her eyes. He wondered if he should tell her that she wasn't her. That he still loved her, but then he remembered how angry she got when he was upset when he saw her with Dan, so he simply said, "I wasn't in love with her."

Rory looked at him with sadness in her eyes. She knew what love was like having lost it and having found it again. "I am sorry, Logan," she said to him honestly.

Just then their lunch arrived. They ate quietly for a moment and she said, "I guess we need to talk."

Looking up at her he gave her a small smile. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Us, Logan, I am sorry."

"Rory, for what? You have nothing to be sorry for. I was the one that gave you the ultimatum. You don't know how many times, Colin, Finn, and Steph told me I should have apologized, but I didn't."

"Logan, I want you to know that I really did love you, but…"

"I know, you moved on when you met your fiancé."

"Logan, I..."

"Rory these last nine years have been lonely, I don't want to wait another nine years or another nine months to go by again. I want you in my life." Logan responded.

"What are you saying, Logan?"

Reaching across the table he took her hand in his, "Can we be friends?"

Looking directly into his warm chocolate brown eyes she saw a vulnerability that she never saw before. She smiled and nodded. He took her hand to his lips and kissed it.

They finished their lunch and Logan paid the bill. She tried to take the bill from him, but he insisted. They walked out of the restaurant door and she looked up into the blue sky. She smiled and turned and smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For being my friend," she replied as she hugged him.

Logan hugged her tight afraid that if he let her go, he would never see her again. He pulled away and looked at her. He felt the pull and wanted to kiss her, but he stopped himself. He didn't want to ruin what they had. They stepped apart, she then walked down the street and hailed a cab. The cab stopped, he opened the door, and she climbed in. He gave the cab the address. She leaned out the window and said goodbye grabbing his fingers. The cab drove off, and he stood and watched it leave.

Marty arrived in Stars Hollow around 2:30. He parked in front of the diner and got out. He looked around at the small town. He walked into the diner and saw a man in a flannel shirt and baseball cap come out from the backroom. He recognized Luke right away and walked over to him and shook his hand.

"Marty so good to see you, what would you like to drink? Coffee?" he asked. "How about something to eat?"

"Well Rory always talked about your cheeseburgers, so I will have one of those and Ice Tea please, unsweetened if you have it."

"Caesar, 1 cheeseburger, please...Rory special."

Marty laughed sitting at the counter, so he could talk to Luke as he worked. The diner was slow right now. The lunch rush was gone, and only a few stragglers were in the store. He looked on the back wall above the counter and saw the two pictures that Rory gave Luke of "Little Ace".

"I see you hung up 'Little Ace's' picture," Marty said nodding with his chin toward the picture.

"Little Ace? Wait, you mean she named the baby already?" he asked.

"No, we got tired of calling 'it or nugget' and she decided not to name him until he is born," he said, "So we call it Little Ace for short."

"Does Emily know yet?" Luke asked.

"No, they haven't spoken to each other since the memorial," he said.

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, Luke."

Just then Caesar yelled to Luke that his order was up.

Luke picked up the plate and said, "Follow me we can talk more privately upstairs. Caesar, you're in charge. I am going to be busy for a while."

He led the way through the curtain up the stairs to the apartment and Marty followed.

Marty had been told about Luke's apartment above the diner by both Rory and Jess. He walked in and sat at the table. Luke took out a bottle of water from his refrigerator and sat down.

"What makes this a Rory special?" Marty asked.

Luke grinned, "I add everything that Rory loved to eat in it, especially the bacon."

"I see it has no lettuce, onion, or tomato," Marty said.

"Well until recently she never would put a vegetable near her lips, thanks to her mother." Luke chuckled. "She was raised on pop tarts, frozen waffles, coffee and takeout food. The only time she would get a decent meal was either when I cooked it for them at the Crap Shack or when she went to Richard and Emily's house for the Friday night dinners."

Marty took a bite of his sandwich and smiled. It really did taste delicious. Swallowing his food, he took a sip of his tea and then looked at Luke.

"I am very worried about her and the baby Luke," Marty said.

"What do you mean?"

"She is having nightmares, very intense nightmares. Plus, she met with Mitchum Huntzberger, yesterday and according to Colin, she became very pale, started trembling and got sick in the bathroom. When she recovered she returned to the table and Mitchum offered her a job at HPG. She refused it, so then he offered her stock in his company."

Luke looked at him puzzled. "Why would he do that?"

"We have no idea, we also found some black notebooks that Ace had used when he traveled and wrote stories. They were written in French and Jess is translating one now."

"Wait, you said Jess can read French and translate it into English?" Luke asked astonished.

"Yes, you act surprised?"

"Believe me, anything my nephew does surprise me even though it shouldn't. Huh!"

"So far what Jess has translated has to do with the Fontane family in France that went bankrupt for money laundering. We haven't made any connections yet to HPG, but we think there must be some."

Marty stopped talking and took another bite of his burger. Luke sat there thinking about what he had said so far and wondering how these things tied together. He liked Ace, but both he and Lorelai were afraid he would break Rory's heart. There was something about him, he was so presumptuous, sometimes imposing, but he did treat Rory with love and kindness. He also pushed her and challenged her something she needed.

"How did Rory react to Mitchum?" Luke asked

"Here's the thing, according to Colin, she told him off, that she was not or has ever been interested in working for HPG, and that she was financially set for life. She then got up and left the dinner. I saw her a few moments after, she was pale and shaky. She wanted to go home, and I took her back to my apartment. She immediately went and took a shower and then wrapped herself in her robe and laid down on our bed. I came in with a cup of tea for her, and she wanted to be held. I put on music and we fell asleep. A few hours later she was tossing and turning and moaning, then she hollered my name. She woke with a start. I calmed her down. This morning she is acting like nothing has happened."

"You should be worried. I am too. Ace, Finn, and Paris helped her when she went through this after her mother died. Before that, it was Jess and Finn. I am glad you are here for her Marty."

"How can I help her, Luke?"

"My advice is you need to be there for her. She will open up, but don't let her run or push you away. In some ways, she is like her mother and Christopher. They both run when things get hard. Don't let her do it and don't let go. Also, don't keep secrets from her. That is one thing that bothers her. After her mother died, we had a long talk. I asked her how Ace was different from Logan, and she said, he doesn't keep secrets from me," Luke said.

"I am afraid, that she is going to find out he did," Marty said.

Luke looked at him surprised, "What do you mean?"

"That is something Jess will tell you about. He knows more about this secret then I do."

Marty looked at his watch. It was almost four o'clock. If he was lucky, he will return to the city by six, if he didn't hit traffic.

"Thanks, Luke, I appreciate your advice."

Marty stood up and shook Luke's hand.

"Marty, take care of my girl. See if you can get her to see Emily. I am going up there next weekend to see if I can talk to her." Luke said.

"Hey, do you have any plans for her birthday?" Luke asked.

"I was thinking of taking her away for the weekend," Marty said.

"Well, it's a tradition of mine to make her a coffee cake for her birthday. I always try to do it whenever she was around. Her mother used to call her the morning of her birthday the exact time she was born. Ace had her in Europe last year. "

"What time was she born?

"4:04 in the morning. They had this tradition. Just saying, but you might want to do something for her that day."

"Thanks, Luke, we will be over for the coffee cake on the eighth."

He hugged Marty and slapped him on his back. The two men walked down to the diner and Marty walked out and got into his car. He waved to Luke as he drove off.

In his car, his phone automatically synced to his blue tooth. He quickly listened to his messages. There were three from work and 1 from Rory. He played Rory's first. She was home already. She left at one and would explain later when he got home. He immediately pressed the phone button on his steering wheel and called her number.

"Hey, Princess, everything alright?" he asked when he heard her voice on the phone.

"Hi, yes, I'm ok, I have just finished the laundry and I am folding our clothes and put them away. I have sent your shirts with a few of my dresses to the cleaners. They should be back tomorrow," she said.

"Ok, I should be home by six, why don't you make reservations for six thirty or seven at the Battery Gardens Restaurant. We could eat outside and enjoy the view."

"That sounds perfect. I am going to go and swim for a while and maybe take a nap. I Love You.,"

"I love you too, Princess." and they both hung up.

He put the radio on to the Sirius Highway station and listened to the music as he drove home. As he listened he heard Brett Young, sing "In Case You Didn't Know" He started to sing along with the chorus and thought about Rory.

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **Baby, I'm crazy bout you**_

 _ **And I would be lying if I said**_

 _ **That I could live this life without you**_

 _ **Even though I don't tell you all the time**_

 _ **You had my heart a long long time ago**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

Marty thought about the walk they took at the Hamptons and when they finally kissed.

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **Baby, I'm crazy bout you**_

 _ **And I would be lying if I said**_

 _ **That I could live this life without you**_

 _ **Even though I don't tell you all the time**_

 _ **You had my heart a long long time ago**_

 _ **In case you didn't know**_

 _ **You've got all of me**_

 _ **belong to you**_

 _ **Yeah, you're my everything**_

He knew he had to take the chance. She was the only woman he could love. He knew that at Yale, but he gave her up to Logan. Not this time. He decided what he was going to do. He was going to take that chance. He was going to take Luke's advice. He was going to talk to Steph and plan a party for her, maybe the Hamptons. If the time was right, then he would let her know that he will be hers forever. He will not keep secrets from her.

A/N "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brett Young.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

Thursday morning she woke refreshed. She looked at the sleeping man next to her and felt so safe. She always seems to wake up with her head on his shoulder or his chest. She felt the pressure of having to go to the bathroom and she gently lifted his arm off her and slid out of bed and quickly padded into the bathroom. She had lifted her T-shirt up and was looking at herself in the full-length mirror. Her stomach seemed to have popped out suddenly. She was standing looking at her profile when she heard,

"Princess, what are you looking at?"

"My stomach. Does my butt look big too?" she asked him.

He walked up behind her and put his arms around her holding her baby bump.

"No, your butt is perfect and so is this little bump." He kissed her neck and shoulders. Leaning against him she felt his excitement.

"I love the way you look pregnant."

Putting her shirt back down over her stomach she turned and faced him.

"Are you paying me a compliment, Mr. Knight?" she teased.

"No, I am stating a fact."

Lovingly he brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her. Putting their foreheads together they both smiled.

"I love seeing you in the morning lying next to me."

"I love being there next to you too. I miss you when you aren't there," she told him.

"You know I keep on thinking about the baby. I can't wait till we are lying in our bed with him," he told her.

"So, you think that we will get sleep if the baby is laying with us?" she giggled.

"Sure, then when he is older, he will cuddle beside us as we read together all the stories that you will be writing."

Facing him she put her arms around his neck and said, "So you have planned my career now have you?"

"No, but you are so talented Rory, that if you want to stay home and write I would have no objections," kissing her tenderly.

"Marty, are you thinking about forever?"

"Yes, I am."

He pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly and then deepened the kiss.

The two of them broke apart and walked hand in hand into the kitchen. He started the tea kettle, and she pulled out the mugs for them.

"Babe, your appointment is at ten o'clock this morning?" he asked her as she poured the boiling water into their mugs.

"Yes, but they want me there at nine forty-five. They want to do blood tests and check my blood pressure."

"Ok, then I think after your appointment we should go looking for beds. Have you decided where you want to live?"

"Your place is so much bigger, it would make sense to move there, but I love being on the waterfront. I can't make up my mind."

"Ok, how about this, I will let you make a pro/con list this one time," he chuckled.

"If we decide to move here, you will still be ok, with getting a new bed?" she asked him.

"Ror, I told you, this will be our bed, the Family Bed."

She walked around the counter and put her arms around his neck.

"You are amazing. Not many men would be so comfortable about getting involved with a woman who is pregnant with another man's child."

He lifted her up and carried her back into his bedroom and placing her on his bed he slowly removed her t-shirt. He bent down and kissed her stomach.

Smiling he spoke, "Little Ace, I am going to be your daddy. I promise that I will love you, and your mom. I will honor your birth father and he will always be there watching over you. He will be your guardian angel."

Rory reached down and pulled him back to her lips. "Marty, I can't imagine anyone but you loving us."

Removing his clothes and her panties he held her naked body against his. They gently caressed each other tracing the contours of each other's body. She moved her lips down kissing his chest. He hissed. He grabbed her breast and gently squeezed them. He could feel her desire and put her nipple into his mouth he gently sucked on it.

She moaned, "Marty, I need you, NOW."

He raised himself up on his elbows and looking down into her eyes, he said, "I love you, Rory."

Wrapping her legs around his back she pulled him into her. With their tongues tangling they kissed; this time it was not with the passion, heat, and desire that they previously had shared but instead, it was filled with love, pure emotion. He kissed her neck and felt her kissing his earlobe running her tongue around and inside of it. He no longer could control himself and with one thrust he was inside her. They both climaxed together and when they joined they both became one. He gently pulled himself out and rolled beside her. He held her close and their breathing soon was in sync with each other.

"Wow," she moaned.

Kissing her forehead, he pulled her into the crook of his arm, he kissed her on the lips

"I can get used to that every morning," he said.

After their shower, they dressed, and Marty made them some blueberry pancakes. They were finishing up their breakfast when her phone rang.

"Hello Steph," Rory said as soon as she answered the phone.

"Hi. I wanted to catch you before you left for your appointment. What are you doing this weekend?"

"I'm not sure, why?"

"Colin and I want you and Marty to come out to our place in the Hamptons. It is so pretty this time of year and we thought you might enjoy going to the Taste of Hamptons."

"That sounds good since I have the weekend off. Dan and Brie are flying to France to cover a story he is working on," she remarked.

"Perfect, so you and Marty will come out this evening?" Steph asked, hoping she would say yes. Colin, Steph, and Marty had planned a surprise birthday party for her on Saturday and she hopes this would work out.

"Marty, can we go this evening?" Turning to Marty he smiled and nodded yes. "Marty said no problem."

"Perfect have Marty text us when you leave the city."

"Thanks, Steph it will be fun to sit and relax at your place this weekend."

"So, will you and Colin work from the office there Friday?" she asked Marty once she ended her call.

"We will see, depends on what we decide to do. You know there is a lot to see and do down there. Have you been to Montauk Point and the lighthouse?"

When she shook her head no, he said, "Well maybe we can go there. It is beautiful. Maybe we can look at property too."

Marty looked up at the clock and noticed the time. They picked up the dishes and rinsed them off. Taking her hand in his he said, "Come on we better get going or we will be late."

They arrived at Dr. Larson's office in plenty of time for her appointment. They weighed her, she gave a urine sample and drew some blood. Checking her blood pressure, they noted it was quite high. They put them in the room and they waited for the doctor.

"Marty, the nurse seemed concerned with my blood pressure," she whispered.

"Rory, don't worry. Everything will be ok. You have been going through a lot lately. I'm sure that it will come down."

Dr. Lawson walked in along with Marty's sister Gabrielle Knight.

"Rory, hello, I want you to meet my new PA Gabrielle Knight. Oh, and who is this handsome gentleman? He wasn't the same person you were with a few weeks ago." Dr. Lawson said.

Gabrielle smiled at her brother but raised her eyebrows at Rory.

"Hi Dr. Lawson, this is my boyfriend Martin Knight. And Gabby and I are already acquainted," she said smiling.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Knight, and Rory how do you know Gabrielle she just arrived from Hawaii last week?"

This time Marty spoke up, "Gabrielle is my sister. Is this going to cause a problem?"

"No, no, not for us, how about for you Rory?"

Rory smiled and said, "It might be nice to have someone to talk to when I start stressing out when it gets time for the labor pains."

They all laughed. The doctor began examining Rory and asked her how she was feeling and asking her about her morning sickness. She was pleased that she was improving with that. She listened to Rory's heart and took her blood pressure again. It was still high.

"Rory, your blood pressure is high, so I am ordering some tests today. We are going to do another ultrasound to make sure that the baby is growing and that you have a normal amount of amniotic fluid. Did you eat this morning?" she asked.

"Yes I did, wasn't I supposed to?" she asked.

"No, it's good because we are going to take a BPP a biophysical profile. This test can take up to an hour."

Rory looked up at Marty frightened. "Hey, everything will be fine. Don't worry I'm not leaving you."

"Ok, the nurse will be in to take you down to the room and the tech will do the test then we will meet in my office?"

Marty kissed Rory and stepped out. Gabby stayed there with Rory, noticing that she was getting very nervous.

"Rory, these are all routine test. I would have suggested the same treatment if I was the doctor.

She gave her a hug and squeezing her hand she said, "I will be there in the room with you so don't worry."

"Doctor Lawson, can I talk to you for a moment?" Marty asked her before Dr. Lawson walked to the next patient.

Dr. Lawson looked at Marty and noticed the concern in his eyes.

"I am very worried about her. She has gone through a lot of stress lately and recently she has been having nightmares. The last nightmare was very intense. She woke up sweating. I got her in the tub massaged her and calmed her down. She also experienced a rejection from her grandmother and a fight which occurred at her mother's memorial service."

"Marty, I am glad you spoke to me. These are concerns, and I would like you to keep me informed. We will see if everything is fine first. She's a news producer, correct?"

"Yes,"

"Her job is very stressful, I would imagine. I will monitor her and if we see the blood pressure continue to increase, we might suggest she stay home from work until after the baby is born."

"Thank you," he said, then he went back inside to be with Rory.

"Hey where did you go?" she asked with concern in her eyes.

"I went to talk to Dr. Lawson. Rory, I told her about your nightmares. I was wondering if they are triggering the high blood pressure." he told her.

"Oh, I never thought about that."

"Well you don't talk about it, and I don't want to push you, but Hon, I am worried."

Just then the nurse Julie came in and took them down to the room where the technician was waiting for them. Just like she promised, Gabby was in the room with them. The test took over an hour. They were brought back into her office. Dr. Lawson smiled at her.

"Rory the test results came back with a score of an eight which means he is developing normally. But I want you to collect your urine today for 24 hours. I want you to bring it back tomorrow. We will check to make sure that you don't have protein in your urine. If that comes back normal we will discuss other options. So, the nurse will give you what you need, and I want you to come in next Wednesday for a blood test And Rory, I want you to relax. Are you exercising?"

"I been swimming, when I get the chance," she said.

"Good, I want you to do it daily if you can, and if can't, I want you to find a yoga class That might help you relax and sleep better."

"Thanks Dr. Lawson," she said as she got up from her seat. They left the office and stopped to set up the next appointment. She got her containers and took the elevator to the parking garage.

"Are you ok Babe?"

"Yes, I guess I am letting things bother me too much."

"You know I am a good listener," he said.

"I know, I just didn't want you to worry about me and fight my battles for me," she whispered.

They got into his car. He was upset when she said this. He wasn't fighting her battles, but he wanted to protect her, he loved her so much.

"Ror, where do you see our relationship going?" he asked as he pulled out into traffic.

"What do you mean?" she replied turning to look at him with fear in her eyes.

"I mean, I know that I want you and the little guy to be in my life forever. I see us as a family. I want to know what you want?"

"Oh, Marty, I told you I am all in, I want you, I want us forever."

"Then we are partners, correct? And as my partner, we must be honest with each other. No secrets and no running, ok?"

Sighing she said, "Ok, so I guess you want to know about the dream?"

"Only if you remember and you want to share it with me. I am not going to pressure you."

He pulled into the parking garage at his apartment and parked his car. They got out and went into the elevator up to his apartment. They walked in and he led her over to his couch and they sat side by side. He pulled her into his arms and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Playing with her long locks of hair, she began to tell him about the nightmare she had. How she was calling for him and couldn't find him. He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head. She then revealed to him, her fear that something would happen to him as it happened to Ace and that she would be all alone. He listened, he let her talk, not interrupting her. As she continued he notices her to begin to relax. They talked about her grandmother and decided that she needed to call her when Luke was up there. She then told him about Logan and how he called yesterday. She told Marty that they met for lunch and she felt that Logan understood now that they could only be friends. Marty wasn't comfortable with Logan, but he didn't want Rory to worry about this.

Looking up at him she said, "Now it's your turn, to be honest. Why didn't I know that you were the one who was taking care of all my finances these last few years?"

"Until I saw you again, I never made the connection with Ms. Lorelai L.G. Hayden. That was how all your legal paperwork is labeled."

"Ace always told me I should have opened those envelopes that I stuffed in my desk drawer. I never looked at the name."

"Wait, are you telling me you had no idea what I wrote in each report? I could have been sending your money to China," he exclaimed.

"Well, you didn't did you! I trusted Colin, and he trusts you."

"You know what Colin is like with money and you trust him?"

"Yeah," she giggled. "I never thought about Colin and money. He always seems to have an unlimited amount."

He pulled her on his lap. "Princess, we are going back to your apartment and we are going to go through your portfolio. Then we are going to make some changes. When you sell Ace's apartment, you will need to decide where you want to live."

Kissing him she said, "I have already decided, here with you."

Pushing her down on the couch they kissed. He slowly moved her dress up over her thighs and ran his hand on the inside of her leg. "Come on let's go to the bedroom where we are more comfortable," he said.

Lifting her up in his arms he carried her into the bedroom. Setting her down on the edge of the bed he pulled her dress over her head. He gazed longingly at the swell of her breast and her now pregnant belly. Placing his hand on her stomach he suddenly felt a kick.

"Rory did you feel that?" he asked.

"Yes, he kicked you."

He stood her up and kissed her again. She ran her fingers through his hair and began to kiss the side of his smooth face. She began to unbutton his shirt and then his pants. She pushed the shirt off his shoulders and he unclasped her bra and she let it fall from her arms. He pulled off his pants and sat on the edge of the bed. He slowly hooked his thumb in her panties and pulled them off. Their lips slide against each other their tongues tangling. He continues kissing her neck her shoulders and then the swell of her breast. She straddles him, and he thrusts up into her, leaning forward his mouth found her nipple, he begins to suck on it. She begins to moan. His hands around her waist he guides her to a slow rhythm. She responds by bending and kissing his neck. He pulls her closer, chest to chest, they kiss first soft and gentle than with more passion. Running her fingers through his hair, she kisses his face, his ear his neck and begins to suck on the hollow of his neck.

He groans her name, "Rory"

His hand envelops her breast and he gently squeezes. They find that the slow rhythm they had has now increased. Climaxing together she falls forward on his chest. He gently strokes her hair and kisses her face. Her breathing slows down, and she has never felt this close to anyone before.

They roll over, Marty wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her into him. He fits his knees behind her and then settles his body flush against her. Her eyes closed. This feel so good, so perfect, she thinks to herself. She loves cuddling with him after they make love. She had never cuddled with anyone before and she has never climaxed at the same time. She thinks back at her different lovers, when she met Logan, she was inexperienced. He was patient, as patient as he could be, but he would just roll over and go to sleep. She thought that was how it was supposed to be. With Ace, he was an experienced lover. He always would make sure she was pleasured first until that night when the baby was conceived. That night was different. As she lay in Marty's arms drifting to sleep, she thought of that night.

 _They had just come back from their walk on the Waterfront Esplanade, they had visited Loeb Boathouse in Central Park and put the down payment for their wedding and reception. They had secured the date. Rory was so happy, Ace had his arms around her shoulder and was kissing her on the top of her head. He was leaning against the railing and she was wrapped up in his arms. She had her head on his chest._

 _She heard him sigh, looking up at him she asked him, "What is the matter?"_

" _I don't want to wait anymore."_

" _Ace, we just put money down on the boathouse, it was your idea to get married in August."_

" _No, I don't want to wait for children, I want to start now. I want a little girl with your beautiful blue eyes and a little boy like me."_

" _But our jobs?"_

" _Rory, a lot of women work and have a family. You can do whatever you want too."_

 _Ace kissed her passionately. Taking her hand, they ran back to her apartment laughing like children. They continued to kiss in the elevator. He knew that her birth control pills were empty, and she hadn't started the new package yet. As they entered the apartment he pulled off her clothes and pushed her against the wall, he kissed every part of her body. She pulled at his clothes, lifting his shirt off his head and quickly undoing the snap on his pants. He pushed them down to his ankles and stepped out of them. He lifted her up and pushed her to the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist. They both had this deep need to be joined as one. Kissing his neck, she felt herself give in to the warm rush. Suddenly she could feel his breathing increase and then she felt his release. She closes her eyes and kisses him deeply. She felt his hands massage her breast and felt his lips again kiss her neck then her breast. With her arms still around his neck, he carries her to the couch. She unlocks her legs from around his waist and now she straddles him. Without letting her go, he lies down on the couch and this time she slowly rides him. They continued to kiss and caress until they were both spent a second time. They fell asleep on the couch. He woke up an hour later and carried her to their bed. She opened her eyes and smiled at him._

" _Je suis amoureux, Tu es l'amour de ma veux être avec toi pour -moi." Ace tells her._

(I love you, you are the love of my life. I want to be with you forever. Kiss me.)

She now understands that Ace had given her a gift and this gift was hers to share. She opens her eyes and looks up at Marty and he looked down at her.

She whispered. " _Je t'aime. Embrasses-moi." (I love you, Kiss me.)_

Marty kisses her and then says,"Je t'aime. Princess, I promise you that everything will be ok. "

They fall asleep in each other's arms.

They awake to the phone ringing. She slowly rolls over and checks her phone. It isn't hers and turns to Marty and kisses him.

"It's your phone," she tells him. He reaches over and answers the phone.

She gets up and goes into the bathroom. When his call is completed, he puts the phone back on the charger by the bed. The phone call was from Colin wondering when they were coming. He heard the water running and walked into the bathroom smiling at Rory. She had placed paper towels on the floor and put the container on it.

"This sucks," she said.

Chuckling he says, "That was Colin wondering what time tonight we were coming, so I told him that we had to return to the doctors tomorrow and we will be there tomorrow afternoon instead."

He walked behind her and placed his large hands on her belly. "If this helps to make sure you stay healthy, then it is worth it," he tells her as he rubs her belly.

Rory walks over to the shower and turns it on. She looks at him and smiles. He knows what she wants and quickly peels off his shirt and steps out of his shorts. They climb into the shower together.

On Friday morning, Rory called Chris and told him that she had to return to the doctors and she wouldn't be in until Monday. Marty drove her to the doctors and she dropped off her sample.

As Marty was maneuvering the car through the morning traffic in Manhattan, Rory called the studio to talk to Dan and Brie telling them goodbye before they left.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Dan asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm ok, my blood pressure was high, so they are doing tests and monitoring it," she said pushing it off like it was nothing.

"Well, I hope you are listening to the Doctor. Have a good weekend and please relax while I am gone," he told her then put his phone on speaker so that Brie could hear her too.

"Thanks, Dan and you two enjoy your trip to France but please stay safe."

"We will Lois, say hi to Marty for us," Dan said and then they hung up the phone.

Her phone rang again and automatically she answered, "Rory Gilmore."

"Hey, Ace, how are you feeling? I called you yesterday they said that you didn't come into work." Logan said.

"Logan I am fine. I had a doctor's appointment, then I took the rest of the day off."

"You know, I would have gone with you Ror, I am worried about you," he said.

"Logan, Thank you. I am fine."

Marty turned to her and gave her a funny look. For some reason, she didn't tell him that Marty went with her. She didn't want to get into it with him. She didn't want to argue with him or Marty.

"Logan, I've got to go, but thanks for checking up on me."

She hung up the phone.

"What was that all about? I thought you said he understood that you were just friends."

"That's how we ended it, Marty I told him we were friends."

"I guess he just doesn't understand it. Promise me that your friendship with him will not be the same type of friendship that you have with Jess and Finn."

"No, it won't be, it can't be," she told him.

Reaching over the console in the car he took her hand and brought it to his mouth and kissed it

"Rory, I love you. This is forever for me. No secrets, no running. I am in."

" Marty, I am in too, forever. No secrets, I will tell you everything. I love you."

Steph was waiting for them when they arrived.

"How did your appointment go yesterday?" Steph asked as soon as they walked in. Marty headed downstairs to the guest room to put their bags away.

"Well I am twenty-one weeks and the baby is growing normally. I gained a few pounds, but my blood pressure was high. So, I had to collect my urine for 24 hours. That's why we didn't leave last night. I go back for another appointment next week."

"Are you feeling ok?" Steph asked with concern in her voice.

"Yes, I feel good, in fact, the little guy is kicking right now."

"Since it is a long weekend we thought that on Saturday we will have a party, same people as last time. Have you and Logan straightened things out?" Steph asked.

"Yes, we did He called to check up on me as we drove out here this morning."

"I thought I would also ask Jess, Cindy and Logan's partner Liam. The guys seem to get along well," she added.

Marty walked back upstairs as they were talking. He put his arms around her waist and gently rubbed her baby bump.

"By the way Ror, what did you have in your bag? It weighs a ton."

"Well I have shoes, and sweaters, you don't know what the weather will be like."

He smiles at her and shakes his head.

"Steph would you mind if I call my sister Gabby and ask her to come up this weekend? She alone in the city and it might be great for her to meet some of our friends."

"That is a great idea. Why don't you call her now, Mart," Steph tells him as she ushers Rory up to her bedroom so that Marty can call his sister."

When they got upstairs, Steph pulled out her new maternity clothes, she also brought her to the nursery that they were redecorating. Steph had placed the bunny that Rory bought on the dresser. Steph had paint chips of different shades of blue, taped on the wall trying to decide what color she wanted to paint the room. The girls stood upstairs for a while talking about the nursery and the color to paint the room.

"Hey Rory, your phone has been ringing," Marty hollered up the stairs to the girls.

"What?" Rory came to the top of the stairs and yelled back.

"Babe, your phone has been ringing. I think it's Paris."

"Oh, I will be right down."

Rory walked down the stairs and when she got to the bottom of the steps she put her arms around Marty's neck. She rubbed her nose against his and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you," she told him as she took the phone from him.

"Hi Paris."

"Rory, you called me, is everything ok?"

"Yes, I went in for my check up and they noticed my blood pressure was high, so they made me do a BPP, another ultrasound, and a 24-hour urine test. Plus, I go back next week again for more blood work."

"Well it could be nothing or it could be the beginning of preeclampsia. I am sure that Kiera is watching you carefully. How have you been sleeping? Are you having any nightmares?"

"Have you been talking to Steph and Jess?" she asked.

"Rory, you need to relax. Tell Marty to make sure to run the diffuser at night for you and I think you should do the yoga classes they have."

"Ok, I will tell him. Are you and Doyle going to the Hamptons to Colin's and Steph's tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes, it probably will just be me, Doyle flew out yesterday to California for another script deal. He hopes to make it back in time."

"Oh, I hope he will be able to make it,".

"I'll be there even if he doesn't make it."

"Great I will see you tomorrow Paris."


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

Finn hadn't seen Rory since the memorial service for her grandmother. He saw how upset she was when she walked into the Manhattan Club but never had a chance to talk to her. He was worried about her. When Colin called to invite him to her Surprise Birthday Party on Saturday, he was relieved to hear that Rory was coming with Marty. Rory and Finn tried dating when she broke up with Logan, but they realized that she didn't want to come between his friendship with the boys, so they decided to remain close friends.

They had broken up in 2014 but lost touch, but when Lorelai was diagnosed with cancer, Colin called him to tell him that Rory's mother was sick. That's when he met Ace. He immediately offered to bring them to the city and had Luke and Lorelai stay in his hotel which was near Sloane Kettering while she was receiving the treatments. Ace came with Rory, and Finn made sure that the family had what they needed. Finn would stop in and check on them and soon Ace and Finn began to talk. Ace wanted to know about Rory, how she met Finn and her other friends at Yale. Finn told him about the day they met, their many adventures together and how they would call her "mother" because of her concern for the "lost boys". When Lorelai died, Ace made Finn and Jess promise to always be there for her. He knew how they helped her when her grandfather had died. Before he left for his last trip, Ace seemed to be preoccupied. Finn couldn't place what it was. Ace made him promise to take care of Rory and protect her. He thought it was funny, Rory didn't need protecting. But since he heard about the notebooks and the confrontation with Mitchum, he was wondering if there was more to it.

Finn picked up Rosemary and they arrived at his home in the Hampton's around four pm. He and Rosemary had been dating for about a year. They had an on again off again relationship. Now she seemed to want a more serious relationship. Secretly she was ready for children, especially since Steph and Rory were both pregnant. They were standing on his deck facing the ocean. He was standing behind her with his arms around her and she was leaning back into him.

Looking up at him Rosemary said, "Finn, what do you think of Marty and Rory?"

"What do you mean, Rose?"

"Are they serious? Steph said that when Rory appeared at your club on Monday all upset, Marty whisked her away."

"Rose, I would have done the same thing too. She looked pale and sick. Logan told me later that she did get sick and Colin said she was trembling after she spoke to Logan and Mitchum."

"Finn, is Logan still interested in her?"

"I hope not, he made a mess of things before and I don't want her to get hurt again. I know Marty won't hurt her."

They stayed there for a while longer before they went inside to change. They were going to have dinner with Colin, Steph, Rory, and Marty tonight.

They arrived a little after seven at Colin's house. Everyone was in their family room downstairs near the patio.

"Rory, you look great," said Rosemary.

"Thanks Rose, though my ankles are swollen, I am doing ok," she answered after she gave Rose and Finn a hug, she sat down and put her legs up on the chaise.

"It has been such a long time since I have seen you, what have you been doing?" Rosemary asked her.

"I have been traveling quite a bit, sometimes to Europe, sometimes to London but most of the times I stay in the city."

"How about you Rory? It looks like you have been busy."

Rory smiled, Marty who was standing near her sat on the chase behind her and wrapped his arms around her as she leaned back into him. Colin and Finn looked at each other, not quite sure what Rose was going to say.

"Well it's my fault," Marty said, "Ever since she came back into my life I have kept her very busy."

"Well, you and Marty should come to my new showing. I am featuring an artist who went to Yale around the same time we were there, her name is Olivia Marquand. She has been living in Paris, but I convinced her to come and do a show here."

Marty and Rory looked at each other, yes, they knew Olivia and her roommate Lucy too.

"Has she been back in the city long?" Rory asked her.

"No, she just returned about a month ago. Her show is next week, you must come."

Steph stood up and walked into the kitchen to check on the dinner. Steph had ordered a delicious Italian meal for them from a local restaurant. She quickly set it up on the table outside. They all walked over, sat down and enjoyed their meal. After the meal, the men walked away to the pool to smoke their cigars and talk, and the girls cleared the table and brought everything back into the kitchen.

"Colin, has Steph translated much more from those notebooks we found?" Marty asked.

"Steph has translated one full notebook and so has Jess. Ace was investigating the Fontane family in France, but Marty, do you realize this is the same family that Logan was involved with?"

"Yes, when I came back from Jess' apartment, he found some interesting information and there is a reference to HPG, Logan, and Mitchum in his notes. Apparently, Odette knew Ace." Marty replied.

"You mean Logan's Odette?" Finn asked.

"Yes, this would have been just before he met Rory."

"You know Colin, you and I didn't like her or her family, something isn't right. Do you think Ace knew who Rory was?" Finn inquired looking at both the men.

"I would have to look at the dates and see if this corresponds to that case I was on when I first joined your firm," Marty replied to both men.

"Ok, let's not say anything to Rory about this," Marty said with concern in his voice.

Rory came walking over to them and the men quickly changed the subject.

"Marty, I am going downstairs to get ready for bed. I am exhausted," she said as she leaned and kissed him on the cheek.

"Love, where are our kisses," Finn teased her.

She walked over and kissed both Finn and Colin on the cheek and said good night. Rose was standing at the patio window and watched Rory's interaction with the guys. Marty stayed outside a while longer before he finally excused himself from the group. By the time Marty got to their room Rory was fast asleep.

The next morning Marty got Rory up early. While he did his morning run, she went and swam in the heated pool. She was still in there when Marty returned from his run. She got out of the pool and walked over to him. He picked up the robe he brought out for her and wrapped her in it. It was a warm day for October but still, it wasn't as warm as the summer. They walked back into their bedroom and took their showers and got dressed. Marty liked the Hamptons and had thought about buying a place, but he didn't have anyone to share it with. Now that he and Rory were getting serious he thought that this would be a great place to live in the summer and a safe place to bring the baby.

"Hey, what do you think of the Hamptons?" he asked her.

"It's nice and relaxing. Why?"

"Would you ever think of living out there maybe near Colin and Steph?"

Looking at him and smiling she said, "I never thought of that. What made you think of it?"

"Well I'm thinking of it as our special place." Lifting her hand that he had been holding he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He squeezed her hand.

"Yes, I guess it is our special place. But I wouldn't want something as big as they have," she said.

"No, but we could look, would you like to?"

"Maybe," she said. Just then her cell phone rang. She dug into her purse and pulled it out. It was her father.

"Hello Dad."

"Hey Honey, we hadn't heard from you in a while. Your grandmother reminded me that you had a doctor's appointment this week. Is everything ok?"

"Yes, the baby is ok, my blood pressure was a little high, but they are monitoring that."

"I also called because in two weeks is the Annual Hartford Fundraiser Gala and this year it will be held at Chilton and they will be receiving some of the funds. So, I have some tickets and I was wondering if you would like to go with your old man."

"Sure dad, I would be honored to attend with you. Could Marty tag along?" she asked, "I would like him to see where I went to school."

"Sure kiddo, I will send you the dates, I think it is a Saturday night."

"That's great dad and give Grandma Francine and Gigi my love"

"Ror, is Marty there? I don't have his number and I need to ask him to check something out for me. He told me the last time I saw him if I needed some financial information for the company to call him."

"Here's right here dad, I will give him the phone."

She hands him the phone and he went outdoors to talk to Christopher. Christopher was checking the directions and the time to be there for the party. Gigi and Francine couldn't attend but he suggested that tomorrow on the way back to the city that they stop by to see her. Marty agreed and thought that was a good idea. He told him that they would stay at his home Sunday night and return on Monday to the city. Marty said goodbye to Christopher and then returned the phone to Rory.

"So, what's going on at Chilton?" he asked.

"Oh, he asked me to attend the Annual Fundraiser Gala they have, in Hartford every year. It's in a couple of weeks. Chilton will be receiving some of the funds this year and they are hosting the event. Gigi is in eighth grade there and since her last name is Hayden, I guess my dad will be asked to go and volunteer and make generous donations. My mother had to volunteer to be on some committees when I went, and my Grandparents were constantly donating money. Maybe once the baby is born I could help," she said thinking out loud.

"Did Logan, Colin, or Finn go to Chilton?" Marty asked.

"No, they all went to many different boarding schools. They would tell us stories how they would get themselves kicked out. I am surprised their parents would let these three boys even attend the same college," she said thinking back to their college days and the LDB adventures they had.

Marty and Rory walked upstairs to the kitchen. Rory sniffed the air, enjoying the smell of coffee being brewed. Oh, how she missed it. Colin immediately came over with a cup of tea for her.

"Steph is sitting on the patio. She isn't supposed to be working, but her real estate agency called her. I guess a property she has listed has some serious interests."

Rory walked outside and sat next to Steph. As soon as she walked outside, Colin pulled Marty aside.

"Ok everything is set for the surprise party. Are you still going to ask her this weekend?"

Marty looked at him and smiled. "I hope to, but it depends on how things go."

"Is Logan coming this weekend?" Marty asked Colin.

"Yes, he is bringing his business partner and they are staying with Finn. Jess and Cindy are staying here with us," Colin replied.

"I just spoke to her father and he will be coming. Did Steph get in touch with Luke?"

"Luke went to Nantucket to talk to Emily but won't be able to make it," Colin explained.

"Well Paris is coming, and I spoke to Dan and Brie. They are both going to be in France, so they won't be here. I hope you don't mind, I gave my sister directions to your house and she is going to drive out later. I think I will have her meet us at the Taste of Hamptons."

"No that is great, so we will go to the Taste of Hamptons this afternoon while they set up for the party, and then Steph and I will leave early so you can take Rory someplace and return to our house by 7:30 for the surprise party."

Driving in two cars, the two couples left around noon to go to the Taste of the Hamptons that was held each year out in Sag Harbor. This was one of the Fall festivals that was held every year featuring food, music, and wineries from the areas, breweries, and distilleries. They even held a seafood chowder contest that brought out the best chefs from the city. The two couples were able to find a parking spot on the street and enjoyed walking through the village to the Sag Harbor Inn where the Taste of Fall was being held. They got their wristbands and began to walk around. It was a beautiful warm fall day and both girls wore comfortable clothes. Rory had a shawl over her shoulders because she had an off the shoulder maternity top and Steph had put on a leather jacket over her white dot maternity top. The guys left to go and taste the different wines, IPA beers, and liquors that were being featured at this event.

"Well Marty, have you decided where you are going to pop the question?" Colin asked him as the two men were tasting the vodka from the Finger Lakes Distillery.

"Well, I have the ring in my pocket and if the time is right, I will."

"Timing is the key, I had Steph's ring for over a year before I finally got the nerve to ask her."

"I know what you mean, Colin. I think she is ready now. If I only knew if she is ready to commit."

"You never know until you ask, but don't give up. If she says not now, then wait and stay with her. I know how much you love her. Don't do what Logan did. Because I guarantee he will be right there ready to put a ring on her finger."

While the guys were at the Finger Lakes Distillery booth, the girls wandered around the festival looking at the juried crafts that were being showcased. Seeing a gelato stand the girls each bought a dish and sat down at a table in the sun.

"Rory, I have translated one of those notebooks we found," Steph told Rory as they sat eating their gelato.

"So, were they his notes from work?"

"Well, the notebook that I started translating started right after your mother's death. It was mostly his personal thoughts about you, your mom, and Luke," Steph explained.

"Oh," Rory said.

"Ace really liked your mom a lot. Do you want to read what I have written down so far?"

"Maybe, I guess. You know Steph I am not sure. It still makes me sad."

Just then Rory heard her name being called.

"Rory? Rory Gilmore? Is that you?"

It was Honor, Logan's sister with her husband and another couple. Honor rushed over to the table and immediately sat down and joined them.

"Rory, Oh I haven't seen you in 10 years? How are you?" She immediately pulled Rory into a hug.

"Honor it is good to see you again, and you too Josh."

She hugged them both. Looking at who Rory was sitting with Honor immediately recognized Steph as one of Logan's friends. She immediately said hello to Steph.

"These are our friends, Trip and Cecee Walker, this is Rory Gilmore and Steph McCrae, friends of my brother Logan. Rory, where are you living now? Last time I asked Logan if he heard from you he said that you were in Washington DC."

"Yes, I was, but I have relocated, and I live in Manhattan where I am a producer at CBS. We came out for the weekend to stay with Colin and Steph."

Just then Marty and Colin walked over. Colin immediately went over and shook Josh's hand and gave Honor a hug. Marty went over and gave Rory a kiss on the forehead.

"Josh, Honor, I don't think you met my partner, Martin Knight?" Colin said to them.

"Oh Rory, is this your husband?" Honor asked.

Before she had a chance to respond, Marty put his hand out to them and started to talk to them and changed the subject. Steph and Colin both grinned, knowing full well that Mitchum and Shira would hear about this. They all stood around and talked for a while and then Honor and her friends said goodbye and moved on.

"Wow, I always thought Logan had a lot of energy, I never realized the bundle of energy Honor had. She is a nonstop talker." Rory said to Steph and both girls began to laugh.

As the four of them continued to walk around the event, Steph and Colin decided they needed to go home. Marty told them that he wanted to take Rory to Montauk Lighthouse since she had never been there. Steph and Colin left and went back to get ready for the surprise party.

Marty and Rory walked hand in hand back to his car. As they got into the car, Marty's cell phone rang. He told Rory to go ahead and get into the car, he needed to take the call. He walked away from his car. His sister wanted to make sure she had their phone number and the address. He got back in the car and leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"Are you ready Princess?"

"Yes, is everything ok?" she inquired.

"Everything is perfect, now let's go and see that lighthouse"

Marty started the car and they drove out toward Montauk. As they drove through the village, Marty took route 80 and drove toward the water. He pulled up to Bayshore Road where there was an old summer home for sale by the water's edge. It was built in 1890's and Stephanie had told him about that morning. It didn't have a pool, but it did have a beautiful view of Shelter Island. They were having an Open House and so Marty suggested they walk through it.

The house had a name and it was built as a summer home. It had 100' of waterfront with stunning 180-degree views of Pipes Cove and Shelter Island Sound. It had a working Fireplace, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, Central Air, and 2 car garages. As they walked through it, Rory fell in love with it. It wasn't ultra-modern like Colin and Steph's, instead, it had character, like the homes in Hartford. The view was amazing. Two of the bedrooms were in the turrets and the master bedroom had an amazing view of the sound.

"What do you think? Could you see us living here in the summertime with our kids running around?" Marty asked her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and they gazed out the Master Bedroom window. It had a screened in porch in the back of the house facing the water.

"It's beautiful, I love it Marty."

They left the house and took the information with them. He got back on Rte. 80 and continued the drive to Montauk. When they got to the lighthouse he parked the car and walked around to her side of the car and opened the door.

"Let's go for a walk, I want to talk to you."

Rory looked at him confused but she got out of the car and he took her hand in his as they began to walk to the lighthouse and the water.

"You know, I always loved lighthouses as a kid," he told her as they walked towards it.

"Really?"

"Yes, they were always there to guide boats and people to safety. I guess that is why when I saw that piece of property out in Greenport I thought that would be our safe place."

Rory turned towards him and put both of his hands in hers.

"Rory, you know how I feel about you, but I have to ask you an important question. I want you to think about your answer. I know that you loved Ace with all your heart and it was only a few months ago that he died. I promise you that I will raise his son as my own, and I will always keep his memory alive."

"Marty, are you asking me to marry you?"

"Yes, I am. But you don't have to say yes now, I just want you to consider it. I want to be your place of safety. I want your son to be able to always come to me to be safe."

She looked up at him and smiled. Jess was right. He was right there in front of her, her Luke. She was not going to make the same mistake her mother did. She was going to take the leap. But this time she knew it was forever.

"Marty," she whispered to him, "Yes"

Gazing into her blue eyes he smiled. "Rory, Yes?"

She moved her hands up his arms over his shoulders and to his face. Placing her hands on his cheeks she pulled him towards her and kissed him.

"Yes, Marty, I will marry you," she responded after she kissed him.

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring that he had bought her earlier in the week at the Clay Pot Nolita in the diamond district in NYC. He went with his sister to pick out the perfect ring. He chose a 1-carat solitaire diamond in platinum with an engraved band. When she saw it she gasped? It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It fit her perfectly when he put it on her finger. Holding her hand in his, he kissed her fingers then pulled her in for another soft kiss on her lips. They kissed for a few more minutes before they broke away and held each other. They walked back toward the water and sat on the rocks looking out over the ocean.

"Rory, I promise, no secrets, no running. We will face whatever the future throws at us together. I am all in."

"Marty, I love you."

She kissed him again then put her head on his chest.

They continued to sit there watching the sunset. The sky was turning all different shades of pink, oranges, and purple. They walked slowly back to the car with his arm around her shoulders. She felt safe, and happy for the first time in a very long time.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

The couple pulled into the garage. All the lights were on in the house and they could smell the fire in the fire pit. They got out of the car and Rory told Marty that she had to use the bathroom. As they were leaving the car, Marty accidentally on purpose, hit the alarm button on his car, which was the signal that they were home. Rory jumped when she heard it.

Laughing she said, "Oh my goodness, Marty what happened?"

"I guess when I went to put my key back in my pocket I must have hit the button." he chuckled.

"Hon, are you going to use the bathroom in our suite or are you going to use the one in the kitchen?" he asked. He was hoping she would use the bathroom upstairs, in case everyone was hiding downstairs off the deck.

"I guess upstairs, why?"

"Oh, I was going to ask you to get something for me, but don't worry I will get it myself."

Rory walked into the kitchen where she saw Rosemary and Steph standing at the bar. Rosemary had a drink in front of her and Steph was sipping on her sparkling water.

"Hi girls, I will be right back, I have to use a bathroom first," Rory said as she rushed off toward the bathroom.

Immediately Rosemary got up and went outside to make sure everyone was ready when Rory walked out to the patio. Rory returned to the kitchen and Steph handed her a bottle of sparkling water. Suddenly, the kitchen light caught the reflection of the ring on Rory's finger.

Steph let out a scream and Rory started laughing. They were hugging each other when Finn, Colin, and Rosemary came rushing in. Marty figured out what it was about and stopped Christopher, Jess, and Cindy from rushing into the kitchen.

"What's going on Love, are you alright?" Finn asked her.

"Yes, I am. Steph just happened to see my birthday present from Marty, that's all."

"Well can I see what is making my girl Steph all weepy?" Finn stated.

Rory held out her hand.

He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Whispering in her ear he said, "Love, I am so happy for you. I loved Ace like a brother, but I am glad you chose Marty. He will make you very happy. Other than Jess, Logan, and myself, no one else has loved you for so long and so much."

Tears were coming down her face and she kissed Finn on the cheek.

She whispered the words, "I love you too, Finny" in his ear.

"Okay Mates, we need to go and celebrate. Come on, love - out to the patio."

As they walked out to the patio Rory stopped at the door and her mouth fell open. The patio was decorated with heaters and fairy lights. Every bush, tree, potted plant, and umbrella had the fairy lights hanging from them. The pool and hot tub water sparkled from the little votives that were floating in the water.

Just then out of the crowd Logan appeared and said, "Happy Birthday, Ace."

"Thank you," she stuttered as he leaned in to kiss her. She moved her head, so he could kiss her cheek. She turned and looked at Steph, Colin and Marty.

"You did this?" as the tears were running down her face. The three of them nodded and smiled at her. With love in his eyes, Marty walked forward and taking her by the hand he walked her into the center of the patio.

The music started, and he looked at her and said, "Can I have this dance?"

Taking her in his arms they began to dance to the song, " **Hearts Don't Break Around Here"** by Ed Sheeran.

As they danced Marty sang along with the music.

 _ **Well I found love in the inside**_

 _ **The arms of a woman I know**_

 _ **She is the lighthouse in the night that will safely guide me home**_

 _ **And I'm not scared of passing over**_

 _ **Or the thought of growing old**_

 _ **Because from now until I go**_

 _ **Every night I'll kiss you you'll say in my ear**_

 _ **Oh we're in love aren't we?**_

 _ **Hands in your hair, fingers and thumbs baby**_

 _ **I feel safe when you're holding me near**_

 _ **Love the way that you conquer your fear**_

 _ **You know hearts don't break around here**_

 _ **Oh yeah**_

He kissed her then and everyone started to clap except Logan. Logan stood off to the side and just looked at the two of them. Robert walked over to him and handed him a drink.

"Logan, be her friend. Don't walk out of her life like you did before."

Just then Liam walked over to his partner. He put out his hand to Robert, "Good to see you again, Robert. Logan, are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah." He took a sip of his drink and walked away and sat down at one of the tables that were set up.

Rory and Marty walked around the party talking to her guests. Jess and Cindy walked over to them and handed her a piece of cake that Sookie had made for her. It was her favorite. She reached out with her left hand and that's when Cindy noticed her ring.

"Rory! Jess, look! I think Marty and Rory have a secret that they aren't sharing."

Jess stood there smiling because Marty had called him the day he bought the ring and asked him if he thought it was too soon to ask her to marry him. He told him to ask her and don't back down if she says not now. Jess told Marty how Luke regrets not eloping with Lorelai when she asked him. He did not want Marty and Rory to have any regrets.

"Congratulations," he said to Marty and pulled him in for a man hug. He hugged Rory and kissed her cheek.

Jess patted Marty on the shoulder and said, "Welcome to the family."

As Marty and Rory stood talking to Cindy, Luke and Jess, Gabrielle was walking around the party. She walked to the table where Logan was sitting and said, "Do you mind if I sit down?"

Logan stood up and said, "No please. I don't seem to know you, I am Logan Huntzberger."

"Hi Logan, I'm Gabrielle. Are you a friend of Rory's?" she asked innocently.

She knew very little about her future sister-in-law other than Marty had been in love with her for many years. Marty did confess that she had dated one of the men that would be at the party but never told her which one. She knew that she was pregnant with her dead fiancé's child and Marty had decided that he was going to raise him with her. When her brother walked into the party without Rory, she was worried that she said no. But as soon as she saw them dancing she knew she had said yes, then she noticed the ring on her finger.

"Yes, I have known Rory a long time."

Just then Liam, Finn, and Robert walked over to the table. Finn and Robert immediately sat down.

"Logan, who do we have here?" Robert said with his most lecherous grin.

Gabrielle began to laugh. She was used to the doctors who acted like this towards her when she was in Hawaii and knew how to handle him. Plus Marty had filled her in on the men that would be at the party. What her brother didn't tell her was how handsome Logan was and how sad he was. Logan sat back watched and listened to her response to Robert.

She looked at Logan and winked and responded, "Hi and you are?"

"Robert," and taking her hand in his he kissed the back of it.

She took her hand back and turned and smiled at Finn and said, "And you, exotic one, do you have a name?"

Finn was dumbstruck, he was not used to anyone making the first move on him.

"Finn Morgan, at your service."

"So I am assuming you all know Rory, so tell me about Rory," she asked them still smiling at Logan.

Liam sat down beside Logan and poked him, "Do you know her? She seems to know how to play these two."

Logan whispered, "No I just met her, her name is Gabrielle. I don't think she knows Rory very well. Seems to be asking a lot of questions."

Gabrielle continued to flirt with the men and across the room, Marty noticed who is sister was talking too. He was a little uncomfortable that she was talking to Logan and Robert but knowing his sister and Finn he was sure nothing would happen.

The music came on and suddenly Robert got up to ask her for a dance.

Turning to Logan she said, "I am sorry, I promised to dance with Logan."

Standing up she put her hand out to Logan and they went to the dance floor.

"So tell me why do you look so sad tonight?" she asked him as they danced.

Pulling back from her he chuckled. "Who said I was sad?"

"I'm sorry, but it is in your eyes, you have the saddest eyes I have ever seen. You know the eyes are the window to your soul and you are sad."

"So are you a psychic?" he asked teasing her. He had never met a young woman who was so confident and direct.

"No, a nurse. By the way, I am Gabrielle Knight - I am Marty's sister."

"Well It's so nice to know you, so you're Marty's sister."

"Yes, and you never told me how you know Rory. You went to Yale, so that means you went to school with my brother, Colin, Finn, and Robert."

"Yes I did, in fact, Colin, Finn, and Robert are my best friends."

"And Rory?"

"Well, Rory… was the love of my life."

"So that's why you're so sad. So do you have anyone else?"

"No, I don't. I let her go many years ago"

"Who?"

Just then Marty and Rory came dancing by them.

Marty looked at Logan and smiled, "How about we change partners."

Rory looked at Logan and smiled. "It was my idea, please?"

"Ace, of course"

They changed partners and they began to dance. Rory didn't hear the music she just looked at Logan and gave him a smile. He guided her off the dance floor and took her hand and the two of them walked down the path by the Koi pond that was lit. They walked in silence for a while before Logan said something to her.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes, Logan I am. I didn't think I could ever be happy again after Ace died. But here I am, pregnant and I can see a future."

They sat down on a bench by the Koi pond. He took her hand in his and held it for a few minutes. He looked down at her ring.

He smiled and looked at her face. "So he asked, and you said, yes. Rory, why? What is the difference? You said yes now twice but when I asked, you said no."

"Logan, you heard no. I said, not yet. We never talked about the future, about kids, about working. I wanted to, but I was frightened, I had no idea about my future I was scared. I always made plans, except for the time I took off from Yale. That's when I had no plans and I tried but that wasn't my life. I hoped that you would have understood that we could have waited. But then you said now or never."

"So if I had waited and stayed in touch and asked, you would have said yes?"

"Maybe. Logan, a lot has happened since I graduated from Yale. When I read that you were in engaged to that French heiress, I realized then that somethings are not meant to be even though we wish that they were," she answered sadly.

"But Rory, I didn't love her… it's always been you. Rory… I am still in love with you."

He put his hands on her face and moved in to kiss her, but she moved her head.

"Logan, I care about you, a lot. But nine years went by and I never heard from you again. I had to decide, and it was a hard one. I could wait and not be happy or I could be happy and realize what we had was never going to happen. When I changed the focus of what I wanted, my career took off. I was hired as a producer for NBC then I followed Christopher to CBS. You had your life in London, you were engaged. Logan, I missed you, I missed what we had but I know now that it wasn't meant for us to be together. We both had to move on to where we are now."

With tears in his eyes, he nodded his head. "Robert told me that I was a fool to have let you walk away, and I know that now. He also told me that I would be a bigger fool if I let you stay away and not be your friend. So yes, Ace. I am here for whatever you need."

"Thank you, Logan, I want you in my life, but as a close friend."

She put her hand on his cheek and smiled at him. He turned and kissed her hand.

Rory got up and walked back to the party alone leaving Logan sitting there on the bench. She found Liam still sitting at the table with Finn, Rosemary, and Robert. She joined them and they all congratulated her on her engagement.

"So you and Marty. Congratulations Rory. He seems like a wonderful guy." Liam said to her as they sat and watched the people at the party.

"He is," she answered and then saw that Logan had appeared and was walking over to talk to Marty. She held her breath wondering if there would be a confrontation. Instead, she saw Logan shake Marty's hand and pat him on the shoulder. Putting her hand on her abdomen she felt the baby kick. She smiled and hoped that this was a good sign.

The party broke up by 1 am, which was late for both Steph and Rory. The two ladies walked around and talked to their guest but every once in a while you would see the two women lean against their partners. Christopher came as promised, he and Marty talked about Rory and Emily trying to figure out a way that Emily would be back in Rory's life. Marty told his future father-in-law that he would talk to Rory and maybe they take a trip up there soon. Paris and Doyle were able to stop by for a while. Rory saw Doyle talking to Liam and Logan for a long time. She had asked Paris what they could be talking about and Paris shrugged her shoulders. Rory knew that Doyle was tired of the trips back and forth to California and it was putting a strain on their marriage.

Saying goodbye to the guests, the two couples said goodnight and retired to their rooms. Rory was so exhausted that she was ready to fall into bed with her clothes on. Marty helped her into his Yale T-shirt that she enjoyed wearing. He put on his sleep pants and curled into her back. She was more comfortable sleeping on her side now and he loved putting his hand on her bump. Soon they were both asleep. Memories of her last birthday came into her dreams.

" _Joyeux anniversaire mon amour, you are so beautiful." Ace had woken Rory up at 4 am._

" _I know how your mother would wake you on your birthday, so I thought we would do a new tradition." Ace began kissing her neck, her ear, her shoulder. She rolled over and looked at him. He was lightly caressing her arm. They were staying in his family's villa on the Cote D'Azur. It was all on one floor with two bedrooms that had a view of the Bay of Cannes. There was a large deck that surrounded the villa._

" _And what will be our new tradition?" she asked him as she rolled into his arms and put her head on his shoulder._

 _Suddenly Ace turned into her mother, "Rory, Happy Birthday, it's so hard to believe that at exactly this time many moons ago, I was lying in the same position -_

 _Only I had a huge, fat stomach and big fat ankles and I was swearing like a sailor - On leave - And there I was in labor._

 _And while some have called it the most meaningful experience of your life, to me it was something more akin to doing the splits on a crate of dynamite"_

 _Her mother's voice began to fade away._

" _Mom, mom, where are you?"_

 _Rory saw herself walking on the deck that was surrounding the villa looking out on the water but there was a mist. Her mom was no longer beside her nor was Ace. Then she heard her mother's voice again and her grandfather's voice._

" _Are you happy, Rory?" her grandfather asked her._

" _Yes Grandpa, I am. I am getting married Grandpa, and I am going to have a son."_

" _Good, I like that boy. Is he the naked guy? You know I really liked Naked Guy. He will make a great husband and provider. Yes, I like him "_

 _Then Rory heard Ace's voice, "Rory, Mon amour, je veux que vous soyez heureux. (My love, I want you to be happy.) Protéger notre fils, et n'oubliez pas Je vous aime pour toujours. (protect our son and remember I love you forever.)_

 _A mist came over the water covering the deck and the villa and there was nothing left._

 _Rory then saw Marty in the distance. He was wearing a suit of armor._

 _He got down on his knee and said, "Rory, I am here to protect you and your son. I want to make you happy. "He then lifted her on a horse and they rode off to the ocean._

Rory sat up in bed and turned. She looked around, feeling her move Marty awoke and looked at her.

"Hey Princess, are you ok?" he asked.

He turned and looked at the clock and noticed the time said 4:04. He knew it was significant. He pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her head.

Smoothing her hair he said, "Happy Birthday."

"How did you know?" she asked him as she looked up at him.

"Luke. I went to see Luke and he told me about your mom's tradition of calling you at 4 in the morning to wish you a happy birthday."

"Luke told you?"

"Yes he did, are you okay, Babe?"

"Yes I am Marty, I had a dream it had Grandpa, Ace, and Mom there and they told me to be happy."

"Are you happy?"

"Yes, very." She snuggled into his arms and he kissed her on the forehead, slowly rolling over to kiss her face, her neck, her shoulder and her throat.

"So my new tradition with you will be to make love to you at four am on the morning of your birth." He lifted the shirt she wore and leaned down to kiss her belly and he started talking to the baby.

"Good morning, Buddy. Now I want you to be good to Mommy today. It's her birthday and she needs her rest. No extra kicks today."

Rory started giggling. He slowly kissed his way back up her body and kissing her breast he gently squeezed them. Rory closed her eyes and moaned. She reached down and guided him into her entrance. Wrapping her legs around his waist he felt how wet she was with desire for him, he could no longer wait, and he plunged deep inside of her. She moaned and continued to kiss his neck and face _._

Look at me," he whispered. "I want you to look at me with those beautiful eyes. I want you to see my love for you."

He quickened his pace feeling her body begin to quiver and as the two of them stared at each other they climaxed together saying each other's names in unison. He rolled off her and pulled her into him.

"I love you," she told him.

"I love you too, Princess." And they both fell back to sleep.

The next morning Rory woke up in Marty's arms. She quietly lifted his arm and pulled his Yale shirt on as she went into the bathroom. Marty woke up and noticed she was missing. He got up and walked over to the bathroom.

"Happy Birthday Beautiful," he said to her as she was washing her face.

"Thank you."

"I thought we could stop by to visit with your grandmother and then we could stay at the townhouse tonight. We could head back to the city Monday morning."

"If we leave by 10, then we can get there by the early afternoon. What time can we catch the ferry?"

"We can catch the 10 or the 11 o'clock ferry."

He wrapped his arms around her belly and she leaned her back into his chest. They looked at their reflection in the mirror. He kissed the top of her head and she smiled at him. Letting her go he turned on the shower and she quickly took off his Yale t-shirt and the two of them stepped into the shower together.

After they were showered and dressed, they went upstairs where Colin and Steph were sitting there reading the paper. Marty's sister was sitting there along with Jess and Cindy.

"Good morning, birthday girl," Gabby said as soon as she saw the two of them coming

up the stairs.

"How did you know that today was my birthday?" she asked her.

Jess got up and walked over and gave her a hug, "Happy Birthday Ror. Luke told me to give you this."

He handed her a cake box and when she opened the box there was a coffee cake that he made for her. She put it on the table and cut it, so everyone could have a piece. She picked up her phone and went outside and called him.

"Luke's"

"Hi Luke, it's Rory. Thank you for the coffee cake. Jess just gave it to me."

"Glad you liked it. Happy Birthday, Rory."

"Luke, I wished that you could have been here last night."

"You're welcome I wish I could have been too, but I didn't get back from Nantucket until late. I'm proud of you kid."

Rory smiled, having him say that was like a warm hug from her mother. A tear ran down her cheek. She wished that he was nearby, so she could hug him.

So she said something that she never told him before, "Love you, Luke."

"Love you too, Rory, ok I will talk to you later this week." and the two of them hung up.

She sat there out by the pool thinking about Luke and her mom. Jess came out and handed her a cup of tea.

"You ok?"

"Yes, I am. I had another dream last night Jess. This time I dreamt about last year when Ace and I were at his Villa on the _Cote D'Azur._ Then my mother was there, and she was telling me about the day I was born, then she disappeared, and my grandfather's voice came, and he told me he was proud of me and asked me if I was happy. He told me he liked Naked Guy and then Ace's voice came back and told me to protect our son and remember that he loves me forever. And he told me to be happy too."

As she was telling this to Jess tears began to fall down her cheeks. Jess sat beside her on the chaise and hugged her.

"Rory, Marty will protect you and your son. You know that right? You love him, right?"

"Yes"

"It's all good, I told you they are telling you to be happy."

"Thanks, Jess. I couldn't go on if it wasn't for you. Promise me you will always be in my life and my best friend?"

"I promise." He kissed her forehead and the two of them walked back into the house as they walked into the kitchen, the front bell rang and in walked, Finn, Robert, Rosemary, Logan, and Liam.

"I hear that there is a sub-party going on at the McCrae home this morning. Colin, Bloody Mary's for everyone." Finn said as he led the crew into the house.

Colin and Steph had them all prepared and waiting for the gang. Rory and Steph had Virgin Bloody Mary's and Steph immediately pulled the 3 casseroles out of the oven that she had ordered and were warming. The gang brought the food out to the patio and sat around and talked. Rory noticed that Logan sat beside Gabby and began talking to her. Gabby seemed to enjoy the attention, soon both Robert and Liam joined them. Rory's phone began to ring. She looked down at it and noticed it was her grandmother's number. She got up and walked into the kitchen to answer. Marty was talking to Colin, so he didn't see her leave and go into the house. But Steph did and followed her to make sure everything was ok.

"Rory, this is your Grandmother."

"Hi Grandma." Steph looked at her and raised her eyebrows. Rory shrugged her shoulders. Just then Rosemary walked in and stood next to Steph, and they both listened to Rory's one-sided conversation.

"Rory, I just called to wish you a Happy Birthday and to let you know that I will be in Hartford later this week and I am staying and going to the Annual Harford Gala Fundraiser. I hope I will see you."

"Well Grandma, I will be going to the Fundraiser with Dad and Marty."

"Oh, your dad is still in Hartford?"

"Yes he moved back. I am going to Hartford soon to have dinner with them tonight"

"Oh, well then I will see you on Friday night for dinner."

"Grandma, I don't know if I can make Friday night dinner, but I will call and let you know."

"Alright, Happy Birthday Rory."

"Thank you Grandma," and they hung up. Rory looked at Steph and Rosemary in shock.

"What did she want?" Steph asked.

"She called to wish me a Happy Birthday and wants to see me this weekend."

Marty and Colin walked into the kitchen as she finished her sentence.

"Who wants to see you this weekend, Princess?" Marty asked as he reached for another Bloody Mary. Rory looked up at the clock and noticed it was 10:30.

She went over and put her arms around his waist and said, "My grandmother, she wants us to come for Friday night dinner. She will be in Hartford for a few weeks. I guess we aren't going to make the 11:00 ferry this morning."

"Oh Ror, I'm sorry. I got talking, listen we can make it."

"No, we can go later." She leaned up and gave him a kiss.

They all went back outside and relaxed and talked. Soon they found it was around 1:30 and Steph and Colin took out the steaks and chicken breast they had marinating in the refrigerator. They had enough left over from the night before that they kept the food and drinks going.

Rory and Gabby got to spend time together alone. They went for a walk on the beach and spent time finding out about each other. They exchanged phone numbers. As they walked back to the patio, Marty met them. The three of them talked about Rory subletting her apartment to Gabby and they decided that on Wednesday they would begin to move Rory's things into Marty's apartment and Gabby could move in. She would use Rory's furniture. It was getting close to 4 pm and Marty reminded her that they had to leave. They hugged everyone goodbye and left so they could catch the 5:00 ferry back to Connecticut. As Marty and Rory stood on the ferry she leaned into Marty's arms as they watched the shoreline of the Hamptons slip away. She turned to Marty and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you for making this the best birthday. You made sure I was surrounded by all my friends. You even let me dance with Logan."

"Anything for you, Babe. I love making you smile and happy. I understand how important it is to have family and friends around and Princess, I want you to remember that those people are your family and they will always be there for you and for us. Even Logan."

They stood cuddled next to each other as the ferry gently glided through the water to the shore of Connecticut.

 **A/N "Hearts Don't Break Around Here" by Ed Sheeran**.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

On the ferry, they called Christopher to let him know that they would arrive by seven pm. They pulled into the driveway and walked up to the front door. Christopher came to the door and opened it. He hugged his daughter and shook Marty's hand.

"I didn't tell them your news, I figured that you and Marty may want to do this," Chris told them.

They followed Christopher into the dining room. The table was set and both Gigi and her grandmother were in the kitchen.

"What can I get both of you to drink?" Chris asked them.

"A water for me please,"

"I'll have whatever you are having," Marty replied.

Francine and Gigi walked out of the kitchen and hugged their guests.

"Gigi, how is school?" Rory asked her.

"It's alright, of course, I was put into the advanced language class. Rory, is it true that you were Valedictorian of your class?"

"Yes I was," she smiled at her sister.

"I am not sure what clubs I should join, maybe you can help me choose them. I was thinking of joining the Puffs."

"Oh? Well, I am sure there are others you can choose from that might be better." Rory answered.

"Rory dear, sit down. Christopher, you can tell Camila that she can begin serving the dinner now," Francine told her son.

Marty sat beside Rory and Christopher sat at the head of the table with his mother opposite of him. Gigi sat across from Rory and Marty. Marty was sitting on her left side and he was holding her hand. As he moved his hand from hers Gigi noticed the ring.

"Rory, that ring is beautiful."

Rory smiled at her sister and her dad.

"I guess we do have some news. Grandma, Gigi, Marty asked me to marry him and I said Yes."

Francine looked at her granddaughter and smiled.

"Martin, what do you do for a living? Will you be able to provide for my granddaughter and great-grandson?"

Christopher sat at the head of the table with a grin on his face. He knew all about Marty and how successful he was. His father's firm had been ready to hire him if the McCrae's hadn't offered him a position and partnership there. Since joining that law firm, Colin and Marty had increased their revenues and it was one of the most successful firms in NYC and Hartford.

"Mother, do you remember me talking about McCrae and Knight Law Firm in NYC?" Christopher addressed his mother before Marty had a chance to answer.

"Yes, I do. They are a very successful law firm. Don't we use them to help with your firm, Christopher?"

"Yes, well Marty is the Knight in the McCrae Knight Firm," he said to her and took a sip of his wine in front of him.

"Martin, you can support my granddaughter financially, but can you give her the emotional support she needs? You know Rory a marriage is not easy."

"Well Mrs. Hayden, I have known your granddaughter since we were a freshman at Yale and I have been in love with her that long." Turning to look at Rory he took her hand.

"Yes, I can give her all the emotional support she needs, and I will love our son," he replied.

Francine smiled and nodded. Rory leaned over and kissed Marty. She didn't care if this was inappropriate she knew that she was happy.

Christopher raised his glass and said, "I want to make a toast. To Marty and Rory. I want to welcome him to our family. I finally have a son."

The couple had an enjoyable dinner. Francine gave Rory a large manila envelope and told her to read it when she went home. They were alone in the study when she handed it to her.

"Rory, I want you to have this, I am an old woman, and I regret what Straub put you and your mother through when you were young, and I regret that I didn't know you. I hope it's not too late to have a relationship with you," she told her.

Rory hugged her grandmother and kissed her on the cheek.

"Marty and I will always be nearby, grandma."

The two women left the study and Marty handed her, her wrap and they got into his car and drove to his condominium on Goodwin Circle.

It was a large condominium with three bedrooms and a loft. He had it tastefully decorated but he didn't spend much time there. The first time she came here she didn't look around. As Rory walked through his townhouse, she was amazed at how large it was and what a large piece of property he had. The basement wasn't finished but there was room to add another bedroom and bathroom. The master bedroom was large too. Marty carried their bags up to the bedroom.

"Are you tired, Babe?" he asked.

"Actually, I am. My ankles are sore too."

He had her sit on his bed and removed her shoes. He began to massage her feet. She flopped back on the bed and he started to laugh.

"Come on let's get ready for bed."

The two of them got ready for bed and cuddled in his large king-size bed.

"This bed is so comfortable. Why isn't this bed in the city?" she asked him as she cuddled into his chest.

"It wouldn't fit in the door," he laughed.

Drawing circles on his chest she whispered, "I like this place."

"You do?"

"Yes, I can see the kids playing outside and throwing toys from the loft down to the kitchen."

He laughed, "I never thought of that when I bought it, but I could see my brother and I doing that when I was little, that is for sure."

He kissed her on the nose. "Rory, would you want to move here when we get married?"

"Yes, I think so, and in the city. How far are we from Colin's home?"

"Not far about 5 minutes at the most," he said.

"Good then our boys can play together." she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Good night princess." He said to her and she fell fast asleep.

Holding her in his arms he never thought that this would be happening to him. He had the love of his life lying beside him, they found a home in the Hamptons and she was moving in with him in the city. He was happy. Kissing her on her cheek he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

It was a busy morning when Rory got into the studio on Monday. Hurricane Matthew had claimed over 1000 lives in Haiti and 1.5 million people still need help as fetid floodwater helps a cholera outbreak spread. People were scrambling around the studio getting the information, presidential debates were going on and Dan and Brie were still out of the country. Chris brought a new anchor from the local network to cover the news while Dan was gone. Rory was sitting at her desk answering an email from Brie when Chris knocked on her door.

"Rory, do you have a minute?" Chris asked her as he walked in followed by a man who looked familiar.

"Yes," she responded as she quickly finished the email and pushed send. Looking up she looked at the person standing behind Chris. He looked familiar. She recognized the man, though he was older, he was still very handsome. She remembered him from college.

"Quentin? Rory Gilmore, Yale 2007, Yale Daily News." She held out her hand to shake his.

"Yes, Rory, it has been a long time," Quentin said to her.

"Well, I guess I need not introduce you two. I'll let the two of you catch up. Rory, Quentin will cover the anchor desk while Dan is on assignment," Chris told her as he turned to leave her office.

"Welcome, Quentin. Could I get you coffee, water?"

"Water would be great," he told her.

Rory picked up her phone and asked Maureen to bring in two bottles of water for her and Quentin. The two of them sat and caught up on their careers. After leaving Princeton, Quentin worked for HPG for a short time then left them in 2014 deciding he didn't like the way they were doing the news. He was hired for the local NY CBS station and had been working there for the last year and a half. They asked him to fill in for this position and hoped that something would open here full time. Rory explained the format that she uses and the two of them immediately went right to work.

The evening news went smoothly, and everyone liked working with Quentin. Rory found herself tired by the end of the evening and told Quentin that she would get together with him tomorrow for lunch so that they could talk more. Marty had called earlier in the day telling her that he would send a car to her at 7:00 but he wouldn't be home until later because of a business meeting. She was happy to see the car when she walked out of the lobby. She got into the car and relaxed on the short ride to Marty's apartment.

At Colin and Marty's law office, Marty, and Colin were sitting in the conference room with Jess, Liam, and Steph. Jess had brought his laptop and had pulled up the email that Ace had sent him. He didn't want to print it out, so he had pushed the laptop in front of Colin, so he could read it first. Without saying a word, Colin slid the laptop over to Marty and Liam. He sat back in the leather chair and placed his fingers on his left hand up to his mouth without talking. Steph knew that when he did that he was thinking and not to interrupt him. Something was not good in that email and she hoped that they would share it with her. Marty and Liam looked up with grim expressions on their faces.

Finally, Marty spoke, "Steph if you read this you must promise not to say anything to Rory. This information would crush her. I think if we tell her Jess should be the one to do it. Do you all agree?"

"Then don't show me. I don't want to know, by the looks on your faces, this is not a good email. Tell me was he in love with Rory?" She asked looking at the faces of all the men.

"Yes, I believe he was. That is why he shared this information with me. I think he knew something would happen and he wanted to make sure she would be protected," Jess answered.

"That explains the change in his will just before he proposed to her too," Colin said to Marty and Liam.

"So, can we back up?" Liam asked, "Ace was killed in May and they were engaged to be married. He proposed New Year's Eve, correct?"

"Yes, they had been dating for over a year before he proposed. It looks like Ace ended everything with Odette just before the engagement to Logan." Steph said, referring to her notes that she took while translating the journals she had.

"Yes, the journals I had showed he was in France on assignment when they met at a fundraiser that was arranged by the Fontanes. They began an affair. Ace stopped it when he caught her cheating on him with her tennis instructor. Around the same time, Mitchum and her father had been arranging business deal using their kids as collateral. What kind of sick morons do that? Force their kids to marry," Jess said angrily.

Colin chuckled, "I think you answered your own question, Jess. Mitchum. He is the most self-centered man my father had ever done business with. And believe you, my dad was one of the biggest morons. But Mitchum was worse."

"I knew there was something not right, I had a feeling that money is the issue. Now with Logan removing his money from HPG, and that the Fontanes have no money Mitchum is scrambling," Liam said.

"Marty, I want to ask you a personal question, and I don't mean to offend you."

Marty nodded his head indicating to Liam it was ok to ask him. He was sure it had to do with Rory and their engagement.

"How much do you love Rory, and are you willing to help her fight against the Huntzbergers?" Liam asked.

"With all my heart. I will protect her at all costs, why?"

"I am sure that Mitchum will push Logan to pursue Rory, even though she is engaged. He wants her money. I hope we can help Logan to move on."

At this point, Steph spoke up, "Liam, Colin and I have known Logan since we were kids. I think we can all help Marty with Logan. What I want to know is how was Ace involved with this family and who is Cecile Bouchard."

Steph explained the cards she found when she picked up Ace's mail. The cards were from Cecile Bouchard indicating that they were having an affair. She told the men that Liza told Rory that Cecile was with Ace the day he died.

They decided that they needed to look at the scan disks that Rory found. They also needed to finish translating the other journals. They also had to open the two lock boxes. Colin told them that he would have a locksmith come over this week to open the boxes for them if Rory couldn't find the keys. He would contact Dan tomorrow in France and have him investigate the Fontane family. Marty also gave Liam the information he had on the case he worked on and see how this connected with Mitchum and HPG. Colin also told them that he reviewed the files that his father had on HPG and Mitchum. His father had written the contract for the wedding of Logan and Odette. It was his father's idea to add the clause about an illegitimate child making it null and void. When Odette claimed she was pregnant they were able to prove with the DNA that it wasn't Logan's. That and finding her in bed with someone else helped end the marriage contract. Unfortunately, Mitchum had already spent the money and when the Fontane's were arrested, his money was then frozen in all his offshore accounts. After discussing this for three hours, they decided that the men would meet up later in the week. Marty and Steph were also very concerned with Rory's high blood pressure and felt this might lead to added stress so they all agreed and not tell Rory anything yet.

The week continued to be busy for both Rory and Marty. With the presidential election coming up the newsroom was following all the leads. Rory was happy that Quentin was there. He would stop by her office and they would have some great debates, he was always professional, and they enjoyed each other's company. He would tease her about the debate that they were in when they were both young editors in college.

After working together for 3 days they were sitting in her office discussing the news format for that evening's show when she asked him why he left HPG.

"Well, Rory, something wasn't right. The young Huntzberger and his father had been fighting a lot. The news in the papers was just not being reported honestly. It seemed skewed. It was not the journalism I wanted to report. I gave them my notice after I was approached to do television news. I had been auditioning for some anchor jobs and I was interviewed in Maryland for CBS. It was a local channel. I took the job and before you know it I came to New York."

"You never met Logan?" Rory asked him.

"Logan, is that his name? No, I never met him. Did he go to Yale with you? I heard stories about him. All I knew was he was in London and through the rumor mill, there were problems. Something to do with money I think because he wouldn't marry that heiress."

Rory didn't continue to ask him any more questions and they continued to work on the lineup for the show. It was another successful night and she was glad when it was over. She noticed that she was getting backaches and wondered if it was the bed. Marty had planned on taking her bed shopping on Saturday. They also arranged for movers to come. Tonight, she would meet him and Gabrielle at her old apartment and pack some of her items to move over to Marty's place.

She arrived at her apartment at 7 pm. When she got off the elevator on her floor she walked over to her apartment. Liam was walking out of his apartment to go to the elevator. He saw her and came over to talk to her. Just as she went to put the key in the door Gabby opened it. She had heard voices, so she thought it was her and Marty.

"Oh hello, Liam?" she smiled at him.

"Come on in, Liam. We were just going to pack my stuff, but I hope Gabby has food." Rory told him as she invited him in.

"Gabby will be subletting my apartment since I am moving in with Marty,"

"Do you need help?" he asked her as he took the bottle of beer that Gabby offered him.

Walking over to the door, Gabby opened it as her brother was struggling with the boxes he brought with him to pack her stuff.

"Yes," Gabby said, "I don't think Rory should be packing. I think she should put her feet up and we should do the work."

They all laughed including Rory. Marty came over and kissed Rory and shook Liam's hand. The two men felt very comfortable in each other's company now that they were spending more time with each other.

"I was just telling the girls that I am free to help if you need it," Liam offered.

"That would be great. We have movers coming on Saturday with a few wardrobe boxes, but the furniture is staying. I don't think you have seen Rory's collection of books."

"Books?" Gabby and Liam said in unison.

Rory got up out of her recliner and walked to a closet and opened it. The closet was full of books. She then took them into her bedroom and lifted the quilt up and there was a sliding drawer filled with books. She also had the back part of her closet filled with books. Gabby had been using the empty closet that Ace had used and hadn't noticed all the books since she had only been staying there for three days.

"Marty where are you going to put all those books in your apartment?" Gabby asked.

Her brother was very organized and very anal when it came to clutter. He liked everything in its place and would get upset when things weren't cleaned up and put away.

"Well Rory and I haven't discussed that yet," he said with a smile.

"Well Mr., when you marry me, you marry my books," she told him very seriously.

"I know, I remember the books from college." They both laughed.

Just then they heard a knock at the door. Gabby ran to the door and answered it. It was the delivery man with three pizza's that Marty had ordered and two chef salads. Marty paid the delivery man and they invited Liam to join them. After eating, Rory sat in the chair and directed them in the packing of her books. She packed her photographs. She was holding the photo of her and Ace's engagement announcement in her hands for a long time. Marty and Gabby were in the bedroom packing the books and Liam saw her. He came over and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Rory, it takes a long time. You will soon be able to look at the pictures without tears or anger."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Am I making a mistake? I love Marty so much. But should I wait?"

"Everyone is different. When my fiancé died I was angry and I drank to shut out the pain. I regret doing that. I can't tell you what to do. I know you have a man who loves you and he will move the world for you."

A tear slipped down her cheek and he brushed it off. She turned and put the photo in the box that was beside her.

"Thank you, you are such a good friend."

The two of them walked back to her bedroom. She opened the drawers in her bureau and filled another box. Her hand hit something that she wasn't familiar with.

"Marty, Liam, something is in my drawer that I never put in there."

The two men looked at what she was pulling out. It was another locked box.

"Marty, Liam. What could Ace have been hiding? Could he have been in trouble?"

The men took the box and began to exam it. It was different from the other's, but it was locked.

"Rory, I will bring these back to the office so Colin and I will go through them. If that is alright with you?"

She nodded her head. Rory then walked into her bathroom.

Just then Gabby pulled out the drawers in both nightstands and noticed that there were envelopes taped to the bottom of them. Liam walked over to her and pulled one envelope off the drawer. In it were more SD cards. He looked at Marty. He then pulled the other envelope off the drawer. There were three keys in it.

"I think we found the keys, Marty," Liam said. He handed the keys and the SD cards to him.

Whispering to Marty he said, "Let's go over to my apartment and look at these cards. I have the ones that Rory gave me before. This makes 7 SD cards. I haven't looked at them yet."

"Ok, I'll tell Gabby where we went and maybe she can keep Rory busy here."

He told Gabby that they were going to get more boxes at Liam's and the two men left.

Rory came out of the bathroom and asked where they went. Gabby told them they went to get more boxes so the girls took a break. They went back to the living room and Rory put her feet up. It was already nine o'clock and she was getting tired.

"Gabby, my back has been killing me. I wish I could go in a hot tub," she told Gabby.

"Rory, we should get a massage this weekend. There is a spa near the hospital and they advertise in our office. They have prenatal massages. You could have one of those and I could get a regular massage."

"Gabby that sounds wonderful."

"Ok, I will book it for Sunday morning. We will let the guys handle the moving."

The girls relaxed, and Rory showed Gabby how to use her television to get the movies on Netflix. They sat and watched the Outlander's first season and relaxed waiting for Liam and Marty to return.

When Liam put the SD cards in his computer he and Marty were stunned. These were the files that Marty had needed when he was working with the FBI on the Fontanes. He wondered how Ace had got them. Marty explained how he worked with an agent around his age, named Dugray. They had enough evidence to help in the arrest of Fontane men, but the money that was embezzled was never recovered. He had to go back through his records to see if he still had the contact information of this Dugray fellow.

The men left Liam's apartment and almost forgot the boxes until Marty reminded Liam. Liam ran and grabbed two boxes from his closet and brought them back. Upon returning they found Rory sound asleep on the couch. Marty went over to her and gently woke her up. They left soon after. Liam and Gabby sat and talked for a while.

"So, I guess we will be neighbors," Gabby said to him. He was so handsome and at least 8 years older than her.

"Yes, I guess so. Why did you move to New York City?"

"Oh, I am a Physician Assistant for Dr. Lawson's obstetric group. I finished my traveling nurse assignment and my degree program in Hawaii. I decided that I missed my family and applied for different jobs on the east coast."

"I take it you had enough of Paradise?" he teased.

"In a manner of speaking yes, sometimes it is not as wonderful as you may think."

Gabby was seriously dating a detective over there. He was killed during a drug raid. As soon as she finished her program she knew she had to leave. The memory was too fresh and painful.

"So, Mr. Cooper, what do you do?" she asked him looking into his hazel eyes.

Smiling back, he told her how he had been an executive at the Turner Cable company in Chicago and since then had invested with Logan Huntzberger and his new business.

"Liam, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What is the connection with Logan and Rory?"

"Logan and Rory were in love when they were in College. He asked her to marry him and she said I can't. He gave her an ultimatum and he left. They haven't seen each other in nine years."

"Oh, does he still love her?"

"He says he does. Why?"

"I don't want to see my brother get hurt."

"He won't, He loves Rory and I know that she feels the same way."

They sat quietly on the couch for a while. Then she picked up the television changer and asked if he wanted to watch a movie. He stayed till midnight before he got up and said he had to leave.

"Thank you for coming over tonight, it is nice to have company," she told him and gave him a hug.

Hugging her back he smiled. "Thank you for including me. Gabby, umm, would you like to have dinner Friday night?"

"Yes, I would."

"Great, I'll pick you up around 6:30?" he asked her as he headed towards the door.

"That would be perfect. Good night," she said to him.

"Good night." She closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Maybe she could move on, like Rory. She should talk to Rory, they have a lot in common. Maybe they could help each other


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

For the next few days the newsroom was busy between the hurricane Matthew hitting the east coast and the presidential campaign. Rory didn't have time to think about what Quentin told her about his reason for leaving HPG. She was worried about the Friday night dinner at her grandmother's home.

It was Friday afternoon and it looked like if she was lucky she would be able to leave by four pm. It might be possible to make it into Hartford by six thirty. She called Marty to make sure that he would be ready to pick her up by four. He told her that he would be there with his car and that he had two bags packed so that they could spend the night at his townhouse. They planned on returning Saturday morning to the city. Gabby would pack her closet in the wardrobe boxes and she and Liam would make sure everything would be at the apartment when they returned. They planned on going bed shopping before they returned to his apartment. Marty hoped that the dinner would not be too stressful on Rory. She had postponed her doctor's appointment for the following week. Gabby had been checking her blood pressure and so far, it had stayed in the normal range.

Rory was quiet on the ride to Hartford. Marty put the music on the radio for her and let her close her eyes to sleep. These last few days for him have been also stressful. The more he looked back at his files on the case he worked on the more he feared that the Huntzbergers had been involved with the Fontane family. He was anxious to find out from Dan what he found out while he was in France. He and Dan spoke a few times, but Dan said he would meet with him, Chris, Charlie, Colin, and Liam when he returned. Rory's phone began to ring. She slowly stirred and sat up.

"What was that noise?" she asked Marty.

"I think that was your phone," he told her.

She dug into her bag and found her phone. It was her grandmother. She hit the call button and heard the phone ring.

"Hello,"

"Hello, Grandma, we are on our way now. We should be there in 40 min. Is there something you would like us to pick up before we get there?"

"No, I just wanted to find out when you will be here. Will you be here by six?"

"Yes."

"Good I will see you at six."

Emily got off the phone and turned and looked at her guest.

"She will be here at six o'clock. Can I get you two gentlemen, something to drink while we wait?"

Gabby was in her apartment getting ready to go out with Liam. She smiled and thought that it would be nice to go out with someone and see the city. She had only been here for a few weeks and spent most of her time either at the hospital or at the office. She had met a few people. Most of them were Marty's friends. The ladies at the office were nice and the few nurses were either married or too tired at the end of their shifts to do anything. Her thoughts went back to Hawaii. She loved the island of Oahu. Her first week as a traveling nurse had her working in the ER room. Though her specialty was obstetrics, they were shorthanded, and she decided that she would help. That's when she met the young detective. Ian came into the ER with a bullet wound. It was just a graze from the bullet, but he still needed treatment. As she was cleaning his wound they began to talk. Once he found out that she was new to the Island, he asked her out. They dated for four months. Things were beginning to get serious. She was busy with her coursework and her duties at the hospital, but they found time to be with each other. As she was thinking back about their relationship she heard the knock on her door. She smiled and answered it. Liam was standing there looking very handsome in his white Henley shirt, jeans and leather jacket. She had chosen a black A-line skirt and a black and white striped top. She had put on her black wedge shoes and wore her hair down with soft curls that fell just below her shoulders. She grabbed her red paisley pashmina and black bag, they left her apartment. Placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her to the elevator. She felt a tingle when he touched her, and she smiled up at him.

Smiling down at her he asked, "How did your week go?"

"Good, but very busy. Seems like there are a lot of rich pregnant women here in this city."

"So, do I hear a little sarcasm in your voice?"

They heard the ping announcing they were in the lobby. They left the elevator and walked out of the lobby toward the Waterfront Esplanade.

"I thought we could walk to the pier. I made dinner reservations on the Hudson Pier 81. We can either sit below deck or go above, depending on how cool it is."

"That sounds like fun. Now to answer your question, no I am not being sarcastic, it's that I am not used to the women who feel that having a baby is an inconvenience. Rory and Steph aren't like that but most of the women that come to this office are trying to schedule the birth around their social obligations."

He laughed, "Yes the women from New York City are definitely a different breed."

They approached the pier and they boarded. He had made a dinner reservation for the 7:00 cruise. They walked over to the bar for drinks first. As they sat up on the deck bar, Gabby looked at the city that was all lit up. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She sat back and enjoyed her glass of rose and he had his Booker's Bourbon on ice.

"Tell me about your week," she said to Liam smiling.

He looked at her eyes. They seem to sparkle with the candlelight that was glowing on their table. He had forgotten what it was to date someone so honest, so pure. He was used to the girls from the cities and California. Like Logan, lately, he had been surrounded by models. It was refreshing to be around Gabrielle.

Taking a sip of his drink, he smiled, "Well we hired a news director. Doyle McMaster. He is a close friend of Marty and Rory. He has been writing screenplays and flying to California and is happy to work here. You might have met him and his wife Paris?"

"Paris as is Dr. Paris Geller? No, I saw her at the party but never met her. She has quite the reputation."

"Yes, she does, according to Logan, Rory and Paris are close friends, rivals in high school, roommates and best friends in college. Logan and Paris are not friends, they tolerate each other, but Doyle is happy to have a job, so he can be home with his two kids and wife."

The boat sounded its horn and began to move from the dock. The two of them walked over to the railings and watched as they slipped away from the pier.

Rory looked at Marty and said, "That was the strangest phone call. I think I better call Luke and find out what time he is arriving."

Rory quickly hit the speed dial number for Luke.

"Luke's"

"Hi Luke, this is Rory and Marty. What time are you leaving for my grandmother's?" she asked him.

"We should be leaving soon, Jess just pulled in. Is everything ok?"

"Well, I just got the strangest phone call from my grandmother asking me what time I will be at her home. She has never done that before. We should be there in about 40 - 45 minutes"

"We should be there when you get there. We will wait in Jess' car if we get there first, then we can walk in together. Rory, I promise it will be ok." he told her.

"Thanks, Luke, love you," she said as she closed the phone.

When Luke had gone to visit Emily, she confessed to Luke that she felt she had failed Rory like she had failed Lorelai. She told Luke that it was her fault that Lorelai had died and that she should have protected Rory from that Frenchman. Now he has left her with a child. Luke had reassured her that it wasn't her fault and that he knew that Rory needed her grandmother more now than before. He thought that tonight's dinner would bring the two Gilmore women together.

Marty reached over and took her hand and kissed it. They had planned on stopping at the townhouse first and change their clothes before going over there.

"Listen we will be at my house in 20 minutes. You have time to change and have a cup of tea. I want you to relax."

"Thanks, it's just that I never know which Emily I am going to get."

They pulled up to his townhouse. Marty drove his car into the garage and quickly walked around and opened the door for Rory. He hugged her and kissed her forehead. Then he opened the trunk and took out their overnight bags and clothes they had planned to wear for dinner. He never could understand the reason for dressing for dinner, but apparently, Emily felt the need to keep everything the same. Rory walked into the Master Bedroom and into the bathroom. She quickly began to get ready for the dinner. Marty walked over and filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. His phone pinged, and he noticed he got a message.

 _ **Dugrey… Marty good to hear from you again. I just happened to be in Hartford settling some family business. I could stop by tomorrow morning.**_

 _ **Marty…. That's great, around nine am? Would that work.**_

 _ **Dugrey…. Perfect see you then. And congratulations on your engagement.**_

Marty put his phone away and walked into the master bedroom carrying her cup of tea. Rory was still in the bathroom.

"Princess, is everything ok?" he called to her.

"Yes, I am just finishing up," she said walking out in a black and pink dress, her hair down and curled.

"You look beautiful," he said kissing her on the lips, "I can't wait to take this off you later"

Wrapping her arm around her neck she kissed him on the lips.

"Now your turn to look handsome. Go."

He quickly changed into his black slacks his grey cashmere crewneck sweater and black leather jacket.

"You look so handsome," she told him and kissed him again, "Come on let's get this over with."

The two of them headed towards the car, and she sighed. Five minutes later they pulled into the driveway right behind Luke and Jess. All three men had their leather jackets on and looked handsome. Pulling the black wrap over her shoulders she stood looking at the door.

"Rory, you have to push the button," Jess and Marty said at the same time.

Luke kissed her forehead and said, "I'll do it, ready?"

She nodded and put his hand on her back. The maid opened the door. Berta gave Rory a hug then took her wrap, the men left their jackets on and they followed her into the sitting room.

As they entered Rory stopped dead in her tracks. There stood Mitchum and Logan Huntzberger.

"Grandmother what is going on?" she said coolly glaring at her grandmother.

"Rory, dear come and sit down. Luke, Jess, and Martin is it?" she said to them.

"What would you like to drink, Berta will you please bring the drinks for our guests."

Berta quickly brought some sparkling water for Rory. Jess and Marty both accepted a scotch and Luke took the beer that was offered to them. Rory sat down in a chair opposite from everyone, refusing to sit near Logan or his father. Rory looked at Logan who shrugged his shoulders at her. Indicating he had no idea what was going on either.

Marty stood behind Rory and placed his hand on her shoulder as reassurance that he was there for her. Luke and Jess found chairs not far from Rory.

"Ok Grandma, please explain why you insisted on me coming over for dinner. I am tired, and I don't have time for your games."

"Rory you're being rude to me and my guest. I cannot understand how your mother raised you like she did to be so rude."

"Grandma! Enough. I thought that you wanted to talk to me, but I guess there is something else on your mind?"

Luke looked at Emily and said, "Emily what's going on, I thought you wanted to make amends with Rory."

Mitchum and Logan had been sitting there quietly not saying anything. Logan was told by his father that they were going to stop at a friend's home for dinner not realizing where they were headed until they pulled in. They were arguing as they approached the door. Logan stood up and walked over to Jess and Marty and suggested that they go outside to talk. Marty looked at Luke and he nodded to go ahead, he would be there with Rory.

The three men walked out toward the pool house and stood outside.

"I want you both to know I have no idea what is going on between Emily and my father. If I had known I would have refused to go. I was told that we were going to dinner at a friend's home. Someone who may want to invest in my company."

"Logan, I think your father is in trouble," Marty said.

"What do you mean?"

"I have contacts with the FBI and recently some documents have surfaced implicating HPG was involved with the Fontane's money laundry scheme."

"What? That can't be?"

Inside the house, Rory was glaring at her grandmother. No one was speaking. Rory stood up and started to walk toward the door.

"Where are you going, young lady?"

"If you won't tell me what is going on this minute I am leaving, and you will never see me again."

"Rory, sit down," Mitchum said.

"Excuse me, Mr. Huntzberger, this is not your home and I am not interested in anything you have to say."

Luke followed Rory to the door, Berta had Rory's wrap in her hands. As she gave it to her she pulled the young girl into her arms and hugged her. Rory's eyes glistened with tears and she walked out the door.

The three men walked back into the front room. They looked around for Luke and Rory.

"Where's Rory?" Logan asked his father and Emily.

"She walked out," Emily replied.

"What did you say to her?" Logan asked as Marty walked out the door.

"We never said anything to her, we never got the chance. She just got up and walked out. I cannot understand my granddaughter's behavior. I am so sorry Mitchum. Your proposal was such a good idea. It would give Rory stability and the last name for her child."

"What are you talking about?" Jess and Logan said at the same time.

"Well, Mitchum suggested that since Logan and Rory love each other that we needed to push them to get married."

"I can't believe this. Don't you know anything?" Jess yelled.

"Your granddaughter, who is the only living relative that you have is engaged to be married. She doesn't love Logan. Ask him. He knows."

"That's right dad, if you had talked to me I would have told you that Rory was engaged. Rory and I have talked. We are in a good place now, but I think you just ruined it."

Logan and Jess turned and walked out of the house.

Emily and Mitchum just stood there surprised at what had just happened.

When Jess and Logan went outdoors, they found that Marty had taken Rory home. Luke told them that she was very upset, and he agreed that she should go back to his place. Since Jess drove Luke was waiting for Jess. Jess offered to give Logan a ride back to the city. They all decided to go to Marty's first to check on Rory and find out what Marty meant about his father being involved with the Fontanes.

When the dinner at Burke and Wills, didn't go as he planned, Mitchum decided to contact Emily Gilmore. He remembered that Emily always had a positive impact on Rory and he hoped he could convince her how the marriage of their children would be beneficial. As usual, Mitchum was his cunning self. He called Emily on the phone and convinced her that it would be the best for her granddaughter and her great-grandchild to be Logan's wife. They would have stability and money. Plus, they still loved each other. Mitchum always knew that Emily loved the prestige of the old money and he played his family's wealth and the prestige of the paper up to her. Reminding her that Rory would have the job of her dreams and a household full of help to raise her son. At first, Emily was skeptical but before long she was agreeing with Mitchum. She had been "Huntzbergerd".

Mitchum knew his son would not agree to this dinner if he knew where they were going, so he told him that they would be going to see someone who was interested in investing in his business. Mitchum was not expecting such anger from Rory or Logan. Once Logan left the room, he could see the distrust Rory had for him. He was surprised that she wouldn't even listen to him.

Emily apologized to Mitchum after Rory, Marty, Luke, Logan, and Jess left. After Mitchum left, she looked around the room and told Berta to put the food away. She walked into the study and stroked Richards desk. She looked up at the portrait that she had painted of Rory as a child. Rory was a beautiful child and now she was a beautiful woman, very headstrong. She could see her daughter in Rory but also her mother in law. Yes, the three Lorelai's were very strong, stubborn and independent women. Rory had become a smart, witty and confident young woman. She realized now that she had pushed her away. Suddenly she felt very alone.

Mitchum left soon after Jess pulled out of the driveway. He looked around for Logan and didn't see him. He tried calling him on the phone, but he didn't get an answer. He drove back to his house trying to think of another plan to get the money he needed to save his company.

Marty drove an angry Rory home. She never said a word. She sat there, he knew she should be ranting and it scared him to see her so quiet. He reached over and took her hand in his. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. They pulled into his garage and he walked around the car and opened her door. She sat there for a few minutes before getting up. He held her hand as they walked into the house. She walked to his great room and sat on the couch.

"Babe, I am going to call for some food to be delivered. What would you like, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese?"

"Nothing."

"Ror, you have to eat something, for the baby. Please?"

Just then the doorbell rang, and he walked to the door. There stood Jess, Luke, and Logan. He let them in.

"Maybe you can get her to eat. Luke, she is just sitting there not saying anything."

Jess walked over to her and put his arm around her. She put her head on his shoulder and began to sob.

"I miss my mother," she sobbed into Jess' shoulder.

He held her and let her cry. Marty and Logan stood there. Luke suggested they order Italian food and he and Marty could go and get it. Marty called up the restaurant and placed the order. Then Marty and Luke got into the car and left to pick up some liquor and beer.

"Did you find out what Mitchum wanted?" Marty asked Luke.

"It seems that he convinced Emily that Logan and Rory should get married. You know Marty I don't understand her. I have seen her manipulate things before but this is something different. I have no idea what Mitchum said to her to convince her that this was a good idea."

Marty shook his head. He now knew that Mitchum was desperate, but he still had no idea why he was getting his son involved. From what Liam had said, Logan had removed his money from HPG and was investing in his own company.

Jess got Rory to calm down and walked her to the master bedroom. He convinced her to lay down until Marty came back. She laid in the darkened room and thought about what was wrong with her grandmother. What reason would her grandmother have Mitcham at her house, and why was Logan there? She got up and walked to the bathroom. She needed to talk to someone and decided to call Colin. After washing her face, she walked out of the bedroom and over to the table where she left her purse. Logan and Jess were standing in the kitchen talking.

"Jess, what did Marty mean that he had documents and he was working with the FBI?"

"Well, Marty will have to explain that part to you, but when Rory was cleaning out Ace's things from her apartment she found some notebooks written in French. Steph and I have been translating them for her."

"Wait, you can read French?" Logan exclaimed.

"What is this? You don't have to graduate from an Ivy League school to read French. Can you?"

Um no, but...go on," Logan apologized.

"So far the entries have to do with his time in France and his involvement with Odette Fontane"

"Wait, you're telling me that Odette was involved with Ace? When?"

"From the dates, I saw it was the spring of 2012. When did you two get together?"

"The fall of 2012 we became engaged, in the spring of 2013 I broke it off when I found her in bed with the Tennis instructor," Logan told Jess.

"Well I haven't read through all of them, but some scan disks were found, and Marty found some documents on them about HPG, Fontane and money laundering."

Rory walked back into the kitchen and looked at them both.

"Logan, you honestly did not know that this was going on?" Rory asked him.

"No Rory I didn't. I swear to you." He walked over to her and grabbed her hands.

Marty and Luke walked in at that moment. Marty looked at Jess and Logan. Jess walked over to take the bags from Marty and whispered that it was ok.

Jess and Luke opened the containers of food and Marty went and got the plates from the cupboard. Rory walked back into the bedroom and called Colin. When Colin answered she told him what happened and told them that Logan had no idea what was going on. She explained that she heard the conversation between Logan and Jess and wanted to know what else was in the journals. Colin told her that they did not have it all translated yet. She reassured Colin she was ok and ended the call. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. Putting her hand on her bump she cried.

Marty pushed the door open. He walked in and saw her on the bed. He laid down beside her and pulled her into his arms. Immediately she began to sob.

"Sh, Sh, Babe, it's going to be ok. I am here. No one is going to hurt you, or your baby and I am not leaving you."

"What was he hiding from me?" she asked him.

"Rory, tomorrow a friend of mine from the FBI will be stopping by. He might be able to help us figure things out. Come on Little Ace needs to eat."

He told her and helped her get off the bed. They walked into the kitchen and all sat down to eat. Marty suggested that they all stay at his house tonight, but Luke wanted to get back to Stars Hollow and Jess wanted to head back to the city. Logan wanted to return to the city too, so Jess, Luke and Logan left after they were finished eating.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

Around nine pm they left, and Marty and Rory began to clear up the kitchen. When they were finished they went back to the bedroom and changed for bed. Lying in the bed Marty reassured her that everything was going to be ok. She cuddled into him and fell asleep. Once she was asleep, Marty got up and called Liam.

"Liam, this is Marty. I hope I am not bothering you," he said into his phone. He could hear people in the background and it sounded like he was either at a bar or a restaurant.

Liam and Gabby had enjoyed their dinner on the Hudson and were in one of the indoor bars enjoying a drink. Liam excused himself from Gabby and walked to a quiet area to talk to Marty.

"Marty, what is up?"

"I just want you to know that Mitchum showed up tonight at Emily Gilmore's house in the attempts to get Logan and Rory together. I am meeting with my FBI friend tomorrow morning. I think Mitchum is desperate. Logan was there, and he was blindsided just like Rory was."

"How's Rory doing?" Liam asked.

"She's asleep. Very emotional, and I am very worried about her," he told Liam,

"We will be heading back to the city in the early afternoon., then I want to take her shopping for a bed. Are you still willing to help tomorrow?"

"Yes, I was planning on it, what do you want me to do?"

"Could you be at Gabby's tomorrow morning to help her pack up Rory's clothes?"

"Sure, I will be happy too."

"Liam, thanks. I appreciate it."

Liam got off the phone and returned to the table that they were sitting at in the indoor bar.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yes, that was your brother asking if I could help tomorrow."

"And?"

"I said yes I would be happy too."

Taking her hand in his, he asked her if she cared to dance. There was a live band playing and many couples were dancing. She smiled and nodded. The two of them got up and went to the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and they began to dance. She smiled up at him then rested her chin on his shoulder. She was enjoying herself with this man.

Rory had another night filled with nightmares. She tossed and turn and was shouting out in her sleep. Marty held her close to him and continued to calm her down. Finally, around two, she settled down. He laid beside her stroking her arm and her hair. He slept on his back and she curled into him resting her head on his chest. He fell asleep by three. He awoke when she got up to use the bathroom around seven. He turned the light on beside his bed and watched her return to bed.

"Oh, I am sorry I woke you."

"Hey Princess, no problem. Are you ok?"

"Yes, the baby was moving about and decided to use my bladder as a punching bag." she giggled.

She sat on the side of the bed and leaned in to kiss his lips. He pulled her beside him and placed his hands on her bump. He could feel the baby kicking.

"I think I need to talk to him."

Lifting her nightgown that she was wearing, he gently slipped it off her, he put his lips on her belly and began to kiss it. Immediately she felt the baby calm down.

"Hey, little guy. Daddy's here. No more kicking your mama. We love you."

"You're the Baby Whisperer," she told him.

He chuckled and began to kiss up her abdomen to her breast. Taking her nipple into his mouth he teased it with his tongue. Rory began to moan. She could feel his arousal through his silk boxers he wore to bed.

"You're not playing fair." she moaned as he went to the other breast and began to suckle it.

He looked up at her. She slowly slid his boxers over his hips freeing him.

"Let's go take a shower," he said huskily in her ear. She smiled at him and walked into the bathroom.

Marty adjusted the water and the two of them got in. Stepping under the water he took the liquid soap and began to put some on her shoulders, he took his hands and slowly massaged her shoulders. Turning her around he pulled her back against his chest and reaching around he massaged her breast. A moan escaped her lips as she felt his excitement pressing against her back. His hands continue to travel down her stomach. and moving his soapy hands in circles caressing her bump. Leaning her head back she reached up grabbed his head and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Pushing her against the wall he spread her legs. He could not wait any longer; he had to have her now.

He slowly entered her. She gasped, holding onto her hips he continued to push into her. He could feel her tighten around him. With one push he let himself go and he could feel her tighten. They stayed like that for a few minutes. He turned her around and stood her under the water. He took her shampoo and began to wash her hair. After he rinsed it, she then began to wash his body. Slowly she knelt, and he leaned against the wall. This time she was in complete control.

They toweled each other and slipped into the matching robes he had bought for them. She then went out to his bedroom and opened her overnight bag. Finding her maternity jeans and Tunic top she began to get dressed. He got on his jeans and another Henley crew neck sweater. This one was grey. As she was drying her hair he went out to start the coffee pot and her tea. He began to mix the batter with pancakes. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and walked into the kitchen wearing fuzzy socks. She sat down at the bar and started to drink her tea. Just then the doorbell rang. Jumping up she walked to the front door. She opened it and stood there looking at a very handsome tall blonde wearing a black leather coat, black jeans, and a black t-shirt. He took off his aviator glasses and smiled.

"Mary, is that you?" Tristan Dugrey said.

"Tristan?" Rory exclaimed.

Marty came walking towards the front door.

"Come on in Tristan. This is my fiancé Rory Gilmore."

"Fiancé, so you didn't marry 'bag boy' after all," he smirked.

"Do you two know each other?" Marty asked looking at Tristan and Rory.

"Yes, we went to Chilton together," Rory said leading them back into the kitchen.

She turned to Tristan, "Do you still drink your coffee with cream?"

"You remembered. I'm impressed," Tristan grinned.

"So, Marty I see congratulations are also in order. When is your little bundle of joy due to arrive?"

Rory handed Tristan his coffee and answered, "The baby is due in January."

"Well Mare, you look beautiful," he said sincerely.

Rory smiled, "Thank you, Tristan."

Marty looked at the two of them, "Ror, why is he calling you Mare?"

Tristan and Rory started to laugh.

"Should you tell him, or should I?" Tristan said.

"Go ahead, Tristan I want to hear your answer."

"Well the first day she walked into Chilton, she was the most innocent looking girl, compared to the other girls at Chilton. So, I started calling her Mary,"

"As in the Virgin Mary," Rory stated, "And he continued to call me that for two years before he left."

"You know Marty, I kissed her once and she cried and ran away. I am glad to see she didn't do that to you," he answered winking at her.

"Well, I better go into the other room and check with the studio and see if Brie and Dan are back. I will let you two men talk."

She walked over and gave Marty a kiss shaking her head and laughing at Tristan.

"Take some bacon and yogurt with you. You need to eat," Marty told her as she walked out of the room.

"Ok, ok, but I am not hungry." She carried her food into his office on the first floor and plugged in her laptop that he had set up for her in there.

"I can't believe you are engaged to Rory Gilmore. Wow, I haven't seen her since I left our junior year at Chilton for Military Academy. I had the biggest crush on her. What a small world. How did you two meet anyway?" Tristan asked Marty as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Our Freshman year in College," Marty answered.

"Wait didn't you go to Yale? She went to Harvard, right?"

"No, she went to Yale, and then we reconnected the end of May."

"I thought she said your baby was due in January. Unless I am wrong than her baby is?"

"Rory was engaged to Acelot Gerrard, the French journalist that was killed in May in France. In fact, as we were cleaning out his apartment we found these SD cards and some journals that I wanted to show you."

Marty brought the coffee pot and the creamer over to the table and poured himself and Tristan more coffee. He offered some pancakes to Tristan who declined them since he had eaten before he came over. Marty went and got his laptop and loaded the SD cards into his laptop and showed Tristan what he found. They sat and talked about this evidence.

"Liam Cooper came to the CBS news director asking for help to investigate Mitchum Huntzberger, he thought something strange was going on."

"Huntzberger? You mean the media mogul, he's involved?"

"Yes, apparently Ace was investigating HPG, but we don't know exactly why. We are still trying to translate the notebooks. They were hidden between his apartment and Rory's apartment."

"I guess I need to have you back up, how and when did Rory become involved?"

Marty told Tristan what he knew about Rory and Ace and when they met and became engaged. He explained also the relationship that Rory had with Logan and how he knew Rory and their recent romance.

"Tristan, I have been in love with her since we were Freshman in high school. She didn't know my feelings, I was too shy, and she was infatuated with Logan Huntzberger."

"I understand, I definitely had feelings for her in high school, in fact, I have been looking for someone like Rory ever since I left Chilton. Never found one that came close to her. You are luck," Tristan said to Marty.

"Why is Marty lucky?" Rory asked as she walked back into the kitchen.

She went over and sat on Marty's lap and gave him a kiss on the lips.

Tristan smiled at her and said, "Because he is going to marry you."

"Aww that's nice Tristan, but actually I am the lucky one. It was meant to be."

"Well listen, I am going to take this information and look over those files. Marty, I will be in touch, and Rory do you mind if I call you sometime and ask you some questions about the Huntzbergers, and Ace?"

She looked at Marty and he nodded, "Okay, we will be back in the city today."

She walked to her purse and pulled out her business card and handed it to him.

"Executive producer at CBS at the evening news. Sounds like a very interesting job. Goodbye, Marty and Mare, I will be getting in touch with both of you."

Tristan stood, and Marty walked him to the door. They shook hands and then Marty shut the door.

"You amaze me, lady," he said pulling her in for a hug. He rested his chin on her head.

"What do you mean?" she said laughing.

"I remember a conversation many years ago about how men could not resist your charisma."

"You are silly, mister," she said kissing him.

"Come on, I will make you some pancakes and then we can leave and go pick out our new bed."

"Chocolate chips with whipped cream?" she asked giving her best Bambi eyes.

He chuckled and nodded. "Those eyes, when we have a daughter I am going to be a goner."

"Who said we are going to have a daughter?"

"Oh Princess, we are not going to have an only child, nope we are going to have a house full of children."

On their drive home, Marty went into Brooklyn where he stopped at the Sleep Number store. They walked into the store and was immediately met by an associate. David was the Assistant manager of the store and was very versed in the beds and mattresses. They decided on the iLE bed and then went and picked out the linens. Rory chose two sets of sheets so that she always had an extra set when she washed them. She was not used to paying the high price for linens, but Marty told her not to worry about it. Since it was their first joint purchase she agreed to let him pay for the bed and she would pay for the linens. She also purchased a new comforter for the bed. Marty decided for the bed to be delivered. They put their other purchases in the car and drove back to his apartment.

It was nine am, and Gabby was up and dressed in her jeans and t-shirt. She smiled when she opened the door and saw Liam standing there with coffee, bagels, and pastries. He walked in and they both sat down at the counter. She pulled out a bottle of juice and two glasses and some plates. She had so much fun last night and hoped that he did too. She took the cup of coffee he offered and took a sip.

"This is delicious coffee," she said as she took another sip.

Smiling at her he took a sip of his coffee. "I had a great time last night," he told her.

"I did too. It was fun to see the city at night. I never thought I would like living in this city. Now I understand why Marty took the job up here instead of back home," she told him.

"So where is back home?" he asked.

"Oh, it's a small city outside of Rochester, NY. It's called Canandaigua. My parents moved to Florida after my father retired from his law firm. He offered the firm to Marty but, Marty loved New York City and became close friends with Colin, so he took over the firm and relocated to New York when he merged with Colin."

"So, when did you go to Hawaii?" he asked her.

Smiling she responded, "I graduated from SUNY College in Brockport NY where I was able to live close to home and save money. I also worked part-time at Strong Memorial Hospital while attending college. I knew I wanted to travel so I applied for the traveling nurse program and I got in. I traveled to the Adirondacks area of New York State first, then I went to Alaska. I loved it there, after that I worked in Long Beach California, and then I went to Hawaii. I started to do my Physician Assistant coursework in California and then did it online while I was in Hawaii. But after Ian died, I had to leave Hawaii."

"Ian?" he asked her

"Yes, Ian was my boyfriend, first serious one. He was a detective in Honolulu and was killed during a drug raid."

As she told him this the tears began to fill her eyes.

Reaching out he took his hand in hers and said, "I am sorry to hear this. I understand how you feel."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Gabby walked to the door and opened it letting the movers come in with the wardrobe boxes. She had them drop them off in the bedroom and told them to return around two pm to pick them up and deliver them to Marty's apartment. It was ten o'clock now.

Looking at Liam she said, "Well shall we get started?"

"Sure," he said and followed her into the bedroom.

She opened the closet and began to hand Liam the clothes on the hangers for him to hang in the boxes. As she was taking the clothes off the racks she noticed some men's clothing in the closet along with Rory's. She smiled and figured that they must have belonged to her brother. She also found boxes marked, Dean, Jess, and Logan. They were all taped up, so she had Liam come into the closet and take them out. They filled 3 wardrobe boxes, and then took smaller boxes and put her shoes in them. Rory had her shoes all lined up in their shoe boxes.

Liam began to laugh when he saw the number of shoes Rory had.

"I never knew a woman could have so many different pairs of shoes."

"What's wrong with that, oh cool, we wear the same size. I wonder if Rory will let me borrow a pair," Gabby said as she picked up a pair of Louboutin's.

Gabby grabbed a step stool and began to empty the top shelf, there were storage bins with totes and purses too.

"This is like going to a store …. look at all the bags she has," she squealed.

Liam began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

As she turned she lost her balance and fell backward right into his arms.

Catching her she looked up at him. She liked the feel of his strong arms around her. They looked into each other's eye and felt the pull, slowly he bent his head towards hers. He hesitated, but she wanted to kiss him, so she moved in and she kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said.

Putting her arms around his neck she said, "Don't be."

She pulled his head towards hers and kissed him again. This time he traced her lips with his tongue and kissed her back. She opened her mouth and let his tongue slip in. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his kiss. This kiss was so different from the ones she shared with Ian. She pulled away and smiled. Biting her bottom lip, she looked up at him. He still had his hands around her waist. He put his forehead against hers and grinned back at her.

"I think we better finish packing the closet," he said to her.

It had been a long time since he had a feeling for another woman and he knew that he was attracted to her, but did he want to risk having a broken heart again.

Arriving back at Marty's apartment, Marty began to make them both lunch. He set out the ingredients for a salad and pulled out the makings for sandwiches. He also pulled out yogurt for Rory, making sure she had enough calcium in her diet. He wanted Gabby to check her blood pressure when she came today. He was concerned because he noticed she was feeling tired more frequently. He heard a phone go off and realized it was Rory's. Rory was in the bathroom, so he answered it.

"Rory Gilmore's phone," he said.

"Oh, who is this?" said the voice on the other end.

"Mrs. Gilmore, is this you?" he looked at the caller id after he answered it.

"Well yes, so who is this?" she said again.

"This is Martin Knight, Rory's fiancé,"

"Oh hello, Martin, is Rory there?" she asked.

"Just a minute and I will get her." he set the phone down and went into the bedroom to get her. She was sitting on the edge of their bed going through her overnight bag and emptying it.

"Hey, Princess, you have a phone call from your grandmother," he told her.

Rory looked at him and rolled her eyes. She went out to the other room and picked up the phone from the counter and answered,

"Hello," she answered very abruptly.

"Rory, I, well Luke is here with me now and he convinced me that I should apologize."

"Oh, can I speak to Luke?"

Emily handed the phone to Luke.

"Hey," she said to him.

"Are you ok?" he asked her?

"I guess so, I am at Marty's now waiting for the delivery of my things."

"Ok, I came to make sure Emily talks to you, can you listen?"

"Yes," Luke handed the phone back to Emily.

"Rory, I am sorry about last night. I just wanted to make sure you and the baby had the best."

"Well Grandma, the Huntzbergers are not the best and I am fine."

"Ok, well maybe we can get together again?"

"Maybe, we will see. I have to go because the movers will be here shortly."

She hung up the phone and walked over and hugged Marty. This was exhausting. She really missed her mother. She needed her more now than ever before. Marty kissed the top of her head and suggested they go in the main room and wait for Gabby, Liam, and the movers.

They didn't have to wait long before Gabby and Liam arrived. Gabby and Liam were both laughing and joking around when they arrived. Marty noticed a change in his sister's behavior immediately. Gabby walked over to Rory and hugged her. She noticed right away that she was stressed. She asked Liam to open the bag she had brought and handed her the portable Blood pressure cuff. She immediately made Rory sit down and had her relax for about five minutes before she took her blood pressure. It was elevated. She made Rory sit on the couch with her feet up and relax.

Immediately Gabby went into her Physician Assistant mode. She asked Marty what she had to eat, and what had happened the last few days. He was sitting beside Rory and was calmly stroking her arm to keep her calm. Rory closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat and she began to calm down.

"Rory, I can't remember but how far along are you now?" Gabby asked her

"I am about 24 weeks, why?" she asked.

"Do you have an appointment for this week coming up?" she asked.

"I am supposed to go in on Thursday."

"Ok, I want you to come in on Monday, I want Dr. Lawson to check something again and we will do the glucose test then."

"What's wrong?" Mary asked with concern in his voice.

"I am concerned with her blood pressure. It is elevated again. It could be the stress of what she experienced last night but we want to make sure she and the baby are ok. Rory, I booked that massage for us tomorrow morning at eleven. That might help."

Gabby told her as she removed the blood pressure cuff from her arm.

Smiling at Gabby, Rory said, "You're the best. Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you and your brother."

Marty kissed her and then said, "Princess, I am going to put the Outlander on and you sit and rest, we will strip the bed and Liam and I will take that apart so when the new bed is delivered we will be ready for it."

Gabby, Liam, and Marty went into his bedroom and dismantled his bed. He had a large storage unit in his basement and the men took the bed frame, mattress and box spring downstairs using the freight elevator. While the men were gone Gabby took Rory's blood pressure again and noticed that it was lower.

"Good, it's better. You need to chill, girl," she told her giving her a hug.

"SOOO, Gabby what's going on with you and Liam?"

Gabby looked at Rory with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I noticed that the two of you are very comfortable with each other."

She noticed the lingering touch of their hands when Liam handed her the blood pressure cuff, the way he gently put his hand in the small of her back when he guided her into the bedroom and how she was standing close to him.

"Oh Rory, he's so…" she stopped before finishing because the guys walked in now followed by the delivery men that had their new bed.

Gabby whispered to her, "I will tell you more tomorrow"

The bed was put together in less than forty minutes. Gabby and Liam made the bed for them while Marty paid the delivery man an extra tip and walked them to the elevator. As he was about to enter the apartment the delivery men with the wardrobes and extra boxes arrived. Marty had them put the wardrobe boxes in the bedroom and set the other boxes in the corner of his large room. Marty and Liam moved the extra boxes into his guest bedroom. Liam and Marty had the movers take Gabby's boxes that she had shipped to him and soon they left. Gabby gave Rory a hug goodbye and told her that she would be over tomorrow morning to pick her up for their massage. She kissed her brother goodbye. Marty shook Liam's hand and thanked him for his help and then returned to the couch next to Rory.

He kissed her, "So what did Emily want?"

"She wanted to apologize. Luke was there, and he convinced her that she needed to apologize."

He just nodded his head, putting his chin on the top of her head, he whispered, "I think we need to feed the two of you. Pizza?"

"Yes, please with mushrooms, too."

"Wow, you are going out of your comfort zone. I am impressed. I will call the restaurant and it will be delivered shortly, I will order a salad for us too. How about some wings tonight?"

"Yes, do we have any ice cream left?"

He got up and looked into his freezer. "We do, Rocky road and mint chocolate chip and Chocolate Mocha chunk."

Marty called and placed the order and brought her a dish of Chocolate Mocha Chunk ice cream and sat beside her as he drank his beer.

Gabby came to pick up Rory around nine forty-five, she decided that she needed time to talk to her future sister in law and what better way than breakfast at a cafe. She had made an appointment at Soho Sanctuary on Mercer St. The girls took a taxi to Ground Support Coffeehouse on West Broadway St. They sat at a table inside. Rory ordered a Chai and Gabby ordered a coffee. Both girls ordered chocolate croissants.

Looking at Rory, Gabby smiled telling her, "You know, I have lived in Honolulu, Anchorage, and Long Beach, but I have to say, I like New York City best."

"I didn't realize you have been so many places. You are so young," Rory remarked.

"You see, the traveling nurse program offered me many opportunities along with learning experiences."

"Gabby, I was just wondering does Liam have anything to do with why you like it here in New York?" inquired Rory.

Gabby laughed, "Maybe, he took me to dinner Friday to the Hudson Pier 81 and we sailed around the harbor. Then yesterday when I was emptying your closet I almost fell, and he caught me and then we kissed."

"Wow. He is a nice guy," Rory said.

"He is, Rory it felt so different from my last boyfriend...maybe I just miss Ian so much that I thought it was different."

"Ian, Gabby who is Ian."

"Oh, that's right, Marty didn't know about Ian. He was my boyfriend. He was killed in March."

"Oh Gabby, I am so sorry to hear that." Rory grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She knew exactly how she felt.

The girls sat quietly for a few minutes than Gabby asked Rory how she and Marty met.

"Well, you heard that we met at Yale. I didn't know that your brother had a crush on me until he was dating Lucy and he told me how beautiful I looked. It was awkward because I was dating Logan and Lucy was my friend. After we graduated I never saw your brother again until the night I heard the news that my fiancé was killed in France. Marty showed up at Steph's door and he helped me. He held me that night and we fell asleep next to each other, just like we did when we studied together in Yale."

"You know he talked about you when he came home from college. My brother, Mitch, told him to go and date someone else and then he did, Lucy. I never liked her, she called him 'boyfriend' and was flakey. But I never told him. Rory, I am glad you are with him. He is so happy now."

"Thanks, Gabby, he makes me happy too."

Gabby looked at her phone and decided that they needed to go. She wasn't that familiar with the city, so she wasn't sure how long it would take them to get to Mercer St.

When Gabby told Rory where they were going, she told her not to worry and knew which way for them to walk. The two women walked to the Soho Sanctuary. It was not far from Dodger Books. The girls went in and registered and soon they were taken back to the massage rooms. While Rory was changing into her robe, she sent Jess a quick text and told him to expect her at the bookstore in two hours. She turned off her phone and sat waiting for the masseuse to enter her room. Gabby had booked a 90-minute massage for both. She booked the prenatal massage for Rory that worked on the lower body and feet massage, for herself, she booked the hot towel massage. The girls left the treatment rooms feeling very relaxed. Rory decided to sign up for some Soho yoga classes that they were offering in the prenatal program.

Rory reached into her bag and turned on her phone. She saw that Jess had called her back. Instead of listening to his message she called him.

"Hey, Ror, what's up?"

"Hi Jess, I am just down the street from the bookstore and I thought I would bring Marty's sister to the store. Are you there?" she asked.

In fact, Jess was there along with Liam, Tristan, Marty, Colin, Steph, and Logan. They had been there together since Rory left. They were going over the books that they found and decided it was important for Logan to know what was going on.

Logan was in shock when he met Tristan. Tristan explained the FBI's involvement with the embezzlement and money laundering of the Fontane family. He explained to Marty and Tristan about his engagement to Odette. How it was pre-arranged by the fathers.

"I was pretty broken up after Rory's graduation and her turning down my marriage proposal. I dated many women and partied hard. I also threw myself into the role of the next HPG moguel, but I oversaw the London office, so I didn't attend the board meetings and let my father continue to do the foreign acquisitions."

"Well we don't want you to say anything to your father, Logan," Liam explained.

"It's obvious he is desperate and needs money, or why would he be after Rory. He must know that she is very rich," Jess added.

Just then Jess' phone rang. Putting his hand on the receiver he told the guys that is was Rory and she wanted to come over to show Gabby the store.

"What should I tell her?" Jess said.

"Tell her you are having a business meeting and can't meet with her," Tristan told him.

They wanted to keep as much of this from Rory if they could.

"She won't like it guys and she always knows when I am lying."

"Jess, give me the phone, I will talk to her," Marty said.

"Hey, Babe, have you finished with your massage already?" he asked.

"Hi, what are you doing with Jess?" she asked.

"You remember that Tristan was over yesterday, and we told him about the notebooks? Tristan wanted to meet Jess and we are here going through the notebooks. Right now, Jess is busy translating for Tristan. Why don't you and Gabby go and wait at the Soho Hotel? We are almost finished here and I will call Liam and we will meet you there for lunch?"

"Oh, will Jess and Tristan be joining us too?"

"No, I think Tristan will stay here with Jess, they will be working late. I am sure when they are finished, they will share it with you."

"Oh, ok. We will meet you at the Soho Hotel. I will get a table for four, how soon?"

Marty looked at Liam to get an idea of time, "Say twenty-five minutes. I will call Liam now. By Babe."

Logan looked at Marty and shook his head, "Wow, how did you do that? She didn't question you she accepted your explanation."

"Because he was basically honest with her. She knows about the notebooks, and Jess and Tristan. He didn't lie to her," Steph told Logan.

"Ok, Liam you should go first. Tell the girls that I called and you got a cab and that you came right over. Luckily, we drove together. Then I will drive over there in about 10 minutes," Marty said.

Liam left and was able to pick up a cab to go the few blocks to the Soho Hotel. The girls had just gotten a table when he walked in. He smiled when he saw the two girls sitting there sipping their Lemon water. He walked over, and the girls stood up. He hugged Rory, but he kissed Gabby subtly on the neck as he hugged her. Gabby could feel the chills go up to her neck when he did that. Rory sat across from her and Liam sat beside her. The waiter came over and asked him what he wanted to drink. He ordered his bourbon on ice. They made small talk and discussed how they both felt after their massage. Ten minutes later Marty walked in. He walked over and kissed his sister's cheek, shook hands with Liam and gave Rory a kiss on the lips. They ordered their lunch and the two couples enjoyed each other's company. The girls told them all about their massages and Rory explained how she had signed up for the Yoga class. When their lunch was finished they all went back to Marty and Rory's apartment and introduced Gabby and Liam to a Gilmore Girls movie night.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

On Monday, Mitchum sat in his Hartford office trying to figure out how to save his family's company. It had been losing money for the last three years. He made some bad investments and hoped that if he acquired a few new publishing houses it would help him bring in more revenue into his company.

The Kindle had been hurting his business since he did not join the rush to have his books published digitally. By doing this he lost writers and revenue. He decided to buy up smaller publishing houses. He found three publishing houses that in 2005 were bought by the Hayden's and belonged to Straub Hayden's family. He needed to own these companies. When Straub Hayden died his wife inherited these holdings along with the Law Offices. The eldest son Christopher Hayden received an inheritance from his grandfather in 2006 and became very rich. Christopher joined the boards of the companies and invested in the Web Based programs, helping the three publishing companies to go digital with their books. Now these publishing companies were worth more than people imagined. Mitchum knew he had a daughter but didn't realize that Rory Gilmore was his daughter, since she never used the Hayden name even though it was on her birth certificate. He needed to own these companies, it would put HPG in the black again and making his company again one of the leading publishing houses in the world.

When Mitchum realized that he needed more money he decided to encourage his son Logan and heir to the HPG fortune to marry the Fontane daughter. She was the perfect socialite, though very shallow, he decided that the business deal would benefit his company and the Fontanes. What he didn't realize was that the Fontane's had been embezzling money and were in debt with the Russians and involved in an international money laundering scam. Though he was unaware of it when it happened he was very upset when his son broke his engagement with her. It didn't take him long to figure out who the alleged father of Odette's child was. After the engagement of Logan and Odette broke up Mitchum became desperate. He was relieved that it didn't take Logan long to find someone else. When Logan became engaged to Keira Sheppard, a beautiful socialite who came from old money in Boston and whose parents were also rich doctors, specializing in neurosurgery and infertility, Mitchum was happy. He thought this could also bring money to the business and guarantee that Logan would stay on. However, Logan again broke off this engagement. Now with Logan removing his money from the family business and starting his own, he needed to find a way to guarantee the income to the company. He knew the family members on the board will be upset with him and he may lose his seat as the chairman of the board.

Becoming desperate, Mitchum approached Acelot Gerrard, Ace listened to Mitchum but instead took the job at CBS, by that time he had met Rory and had fallen in love with her. Mitchum decided to tell him his knowledge of his affair with Odette and then told him that since the child she was caring was not Logan's than it must be his, He was surprised when Ace refused the job telling Mitchum he would have nothing to do with her or his company. To Ace she was just a fling, she meant nothing to him and he knew the child couldn't be his. She was a shallow socialite who wanted his money.

Mitchum was in shock when he heard that Acelot was killed in France. He had reached out to him again on that day he was killed. He was more surprised to see Rory Gilmore at the funeral and his son talking to her. After talking to people at the memorial, he found out that Rory was engaged to Ace Gerrard and the daughter of Christopher Hayden. A week after the memorial, Mitchum had his private investigators investigate Rory and Ace's relationship. She was engaged to Ace, and a producer at CBS news. He was shocked to find out that she was very wealthy, not because she was a Gilmore and had a trust fund, but also, she inherited all of Ace's wealth. She also was the oldest grandchild of Straub and Francine Hayden and will inherit a large portion of the Hayden estate along with the three publishing companies. That's when he decided it was time for him to encourage Logan to get back together with Rory. He knew his son was still in love with her, and he could see the two of them bring HPG into the 21st century. However, he didn't realize it would be so difficult.

He was shocked at the reaction Rory had when seeing him, and her reaction to her grandmother. He knew that Logan and Rory were friends now, but he needed them to marry.

Rory entered the studio and was so happy to see Brie and Dan. They had returned from their trip to France and they seemed closer than they were before. Dan came into her office and sat down.

"Well, was your trip successful?" she asked Dan.

"I found information about the story that Ace was working on. I will be meeting with Liam, Christopher and Charlie later. I am sure they will be including you in the meeting."

"Good, was the story he was investigating the reason he died?" she asked him hesitantly.

"I don't think so, but witness say that he was sitting with two women when the truck came barreling towards them. He pushed one woman out of the way when he got struck by the truck and was killed instantly."

Rory placed her hand on her stomach and sat there. She didn't cry, but felt the baby kick. Dan looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"Rory are you ok?"

"Yes, he didn't suffer than?"

"I don't think so," Dan told her.

Just then Rory's cell phone rang. She looked at it and noticed it was Dr. Lawson's office calling her.

"Dan, would you excuse me, I have to take this call, it is the Doctor's office."

"Is everything okay, Rory?""

"Yes, I just need to go in for some routine tests." she told him. Rory got up and took her phone out of the office so that she could talk privately.

"Hello, this is Rory Gilmore," she said as she answered the phone.

"Rory, this is Gabby. Can you come in at 11:00 this morning? They are going to do another ultrasound, the BBP again and take more blood. They also will be testing for Gestational Diabetes and you will take an oral glucose test. Will Marty be able to bring you here?"

"I am not sure, can't I come on my own?" she asked.

"I would rather you have someone with you Rory, these tests will take a long time. And remember to drink the water before you come in."

"Oh, I will call Marty now, Bye Gabby and I will see you in an hour."

Rory immediately hung up and called Marty. She called his cell instead of going through the office. Marty was expecting a call from her, so he answered on the first ring.

"Hi Babe, is everything alright?" he asked.

"Gabby called, and I have to go in for test at eleven. She doesn't want me to go alone and I was wondering if you are available to go with me."

"Yes, I will be there with the car in half an hour. What test are they doing?"

"Ultrasound, blood work, the BBP and the Oral glucose test," she told him.

"Ok, make sure you start drinking the water now and I will be there by ten thirty."

"I love you, Marty," she said with a smile.

"I love you too, Princess, and don't worry everything will be fine."

She hung up her phone and went to the mini fridge in her office and took out two bottles of water. She got up and walked out into the newsroom and found Quentin, Dan and Brie talking to each other. Quentin was offered a job as a newscaster and was now on their team. As she approached, Brie came over and hugged her.

"I missed you," Brie said as she gave Rory a big hug, "Rory you have gotten big, since I last saw you." As she was hugging Brie the baby gave a kick. Brie felt it and started laughing.

"I guess the baby doesn't like it when I talk about his Mama," she chuckled.

"I came out to tell you that I won't be around the rest of the day. Brie can you do the producing today? I have to go in and have some more tests."

"Sure, are you going to be okay? Do you want one of us to go with you?" she offered.

"Thanks, but Marty will be here soon to take me, and I will be in later or I will call."

She returned to her office and sent Charlie an email letting him know that she would be going to the doctors to have tests done.

Liam and Logan were sitting in their office at the new ACE News station in Queens.

Logan was still in shock over what he had heard yesterday when Liam had him go with him to Jess' store. After Liam and Marty left, Tristan explained to them what his role was in the investigation and how he will reopen the case considering the new development.

Marty and Tristan never told the others of Rory's connection with Tristan or that she knew him. After Tristan left Jess, Colin, Steph and Logan sat there and talked. Logan was in shock he needed to find out what his father's involvement was with the Fontane's and what was the reason for the dinner fiasco at Emily Gilmore's home Friday night. Logan and Jess told Steph and Colin what had happened on Friday and how Marty decided that Logan needed to know what his father's involvement with the Fontane's was.

"He tricked me into attending this dinner with a family friend. I was furious with him when he pulled up to the Gilmore home."

"Why did he bring you there?" Liam asked him.

"In his mind he thought he could convince me that Rory and I should be together. Liam, you know how I loved her, but she is in love with Marty. I know that now. I would rather have her as my friend then go through the rest of my life without her in it."

"So why does he want Rory in your life?"

"I don't know." Logan admitted.

"But I am tired of being his puppet. That's what he does he manipulates people. He is a master manipulator and he has manipulated me my whole life. Not anymore. Liam, I am going to help Dugrey with this mystery."

"What was Rory's reaction?"

"I have never seen her like that before. She was angry. She stood right up to her grandmother and told them both off. The Rory I knew in college never would do that. She would have let her grandmother manipulate her, but she wasn't going to have anything to do with either one of them. She never trusted my father, he hurt her once and that was one of the reason she told me she couldn't marry me, it was my family," he told them sadly.

"Logan, I am afraid things will get worse before they get better. I think your family company is in jeopardy. You may need to attend the board meetings for HPG more regularly now, and find out what Mitchum's plans are. You, Marty and Rory may need to talk so that she realizes what is going on," Liam tells him.

"I don't want to see her hurt. I am afraid what she will do when she finds out about Ace's involvement with Odette. Are you sure the email that Jess translated is correct? That Ace had DNA sent to that family? I never trusted Odette, she was so manipulative."

"Well, let's table this conversation for later. Is Doyle still coming in at eleven?" Liam asked Logan.

"Yes, in fact he should be here shortly."

Just then the secretary for Logan and Liam called letting them know that their eleven o'clock appointment was there.

Logan walked out and shook Doyle's hand and the two men walked back into the inner office where a conference room was set up. Logan offered Doyle some coffee or a drink and Doyle took the coffee. Liam immediately shook Doyle's hand, the three men sat down at the round conference table.

"I want to thank you for accepting the job as our news director. I have been impressed with your work, Doyle and I think you will definitely be a great fit to our news program," Liam told Doyle.

"Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to join your team. This is a good fit for me since I will no longer have to travel as often to the West Coast. It has been hard on my marriage," Doyle told them.

"Yes, how is Paris. Every time I saw you two the last few weeks, I never had a chance to talk to her," Logan smiled and asked him.

"Paris is doing well. We have two children and I miss them when I have to travel so much."

"Doyle, how soon can you start? We want to start hiring the rest of the team and we want you to be directly involved with that," Logan told him.

"Right away. My last script for the spring was written and they are filming it now. I can now devote my time to do what I love the most and that is the news."

"We were thinking of going to the Yale Alumni reunion and doing some networking. It is the first weekend of November," Logan told him.

"I think that is a great idea."

"Great, well let's show you your office and I have a few resumes we can go through some of them are Yale graduates. You might know them or Rory might. They said they were staffers on the paper. But I don't remember them."

Liam shook Doyle's hand and Doyle and Logan walked out of the conference room towards the office that Doyle would have.

Liam's phone pinged, and he saw that he got a message from Gabby. He smiled. He really enjoyed spending Sunday with Rory, Marty, and Gabby. He never laughed so hard at Rory during Movie Night and her rules. Marty and Rory decided to initiate Gabby and Liam with the Marx brothers. Marty and Rory knew all the lines of Duck Soup and they told them the story about the Marx Brothers' marathon.

 _G - Rory is coming in shortly for the tests._

 _L - How is she doing?_

 _G - I am not sure, I told her to make sure Marty comes with her._

 _L - Can I see you tonight? Dinner up on the roof?_

 _G- Sounds romantic, of course? What time, I should be home by 6._

 _L - How about 6:30?_

 _G -What can I bring?_

 _L - Yourself._

 _G. - LOL, I will pick something up and some_ Rosé

 _L - Sounds great see you then._

Marty and Rory entered the doctor's office at 10:30. She finished her bottle of water when the nurse called her into the office. They were led to the room where the technician was set up to take her ultra sound. She had just got on the table when the door opened and in walked Gabby. She walked over and smiled at the two of them.

"I will be doing the ultrasound today," she said to the technician.

The technician walked out and Gabby had Rory pull up her shirt as she squirted the gel on her belly. Gabby began to move the ultrasound wand around her belly, sitting at the computer she began typing information recording the size. She turned the monitor so that Marty and Rory could see the baby. They both were smiling at the baby.

"He is beautiful Rory," Marty told her as he kissed her forehead. They listened to his heartbeat and felt relieved.

"The good news is that he is strong, and he is growing right on schedule. Everything looks good. But Rory I am worried about the stress you are under and your high blood pressure. After talking to Dr. Lawson, we want you to have the glucose blood test done and the BBP test again," she told her handing paper towels to Rory, so she could clean her belly.

"How many pictures do you want?" she asked them.

Marty answered immediately with a smile "Eight would be great Gabby."

"Ok they will be at reception, I am going to bring you to the lab for blood work next. The bathroom is right outside this door, and Rory could you also leave a sample. The cup is already there. Just put your name on the label and attach it to the cup."

Rory left the room and went to the bathroom. Marty looked at his sister with concern in his eyes.

"Gabby what is going on? Is this normal for you to do this many tests during pregnancy?"

"Yes and no, first Rory is an older patient, so we need to check for Gestational Diabetes, her blood pressure is high, so we need to make sure she doesn't have Preeclampsia. I might suggest she cut back on her hours at work or take a leave of absence for a while."

Rory came out of the bathroom and looked at both Gabby and Marty. They both smiled at her and walked to the lab where she will have her blood test. After that she went back to the room where the technician had set up the machine to do the BBP test. Since this is her second time doing this test she knew what was expected. When that was finished, she was given a glucose drink and told to go to the waiting room and drink it. While they were doing that both Rory and Marty were checking their messages. After an hour her blood was drawn and tested.

Gabby suggested that they leave and come back around 5:30 when she will have the results of the tests. Marty escorted her out of the office and asked her where she wanted to go for lunch. They decided to go to the Ground Support Cafe and grab a sandwich. It was two thirty and Rory was beginning to feel tired from the stress of the test. They sat down and ordered their sandwiches and drinks. As they were sipping their drinks, Marty took her hand.

"Rory, if the doctor told you that you had to take time off work, what would you do?" he asked her with concern in his voice.

She looked at him with surprise. "I don't know. I remember they put both Sookie and Lane on bedrest for a while. I remember for Lane she was pregnant with the twins, and she was so bored. Marty why are you asking me this?"

"Well Gabby is concerned; your blood pressure is high, and she is concerned that this might be the beginning of preeclampsia. We are both worried about your health and the babies."

"Oh, don't worry. I am ok."

Rory had the sudden urge to call Paris or her Grandmother. She thought about it and decided that after lunch that they should go back to their apartment.

"Marty can we go back to the apartment. I want to lay down before going back to the doctor's office."

They finished their lunch and they returned to his apartment. She kissed him and went to the bedroom to lay down.

"Princess, I am going to the office and reply to a few messages and make some phone calls. Will you be ok while I am gone?" he asked her as he stroked her back holding her against his chest.

"Yes, I think I will go to sleep for a while. Marty, I love you.".

Kissing her he pulled the comforter over after she laid down. He told her that he would be back by five and closed the door to the bedroom. He quickly called his car service and by the time he got to the lobby the car was there and brought him to his office.

Rory closed her eyes and fell asleep. The movement that the baby had begun to slow down. She remembered the shape of his face and his nose. The baby was sucking his thumb today. Slowly she drifted off.

 _ **"Hey, Ace, how's our little boy doing today?" Logan said to her.**_

 _ **He had just walked into the house. It was her grandmother's home and he walked in with a brief case. She was sitting in a rocking chair rocking the sleeping baby in her arms.**_

 _ **She saw him walk over to her and then bent and kissed the baby on the forehead. He then leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She responded to his kiss, then his face changed, and it was Tristan. Tristan picked up the baby from her arms and laid it in the bassinet that was beside the rocking chair.**_

 _ **"Where is Marty, Tristan? Where is Jess, Finn and Logan?"**_

 _ **"They all left you, Rory. But I'm here," Tristan said.**_

 _ **She looked at Tristan and then the door opened. In walked her Grandfather, and her mother. Her Grandmother walked from the kitchen with Mitchum. She looked around and started to yell for Marty. A fog started to fill the room and Rory grabbed the baby from the bassinet. She had to leave and ran out the door. She headed towards Stars Hollow and walked up and down the street calling for her mother. Sookie opened the door to her house and walked out. She guided Rory up the stairs to her home and sat her down.**_

" _ **Sookie where is my mother?"**_

 _ **Sookie didn't answer and just hugged her.**_

Rory sat up in her bed and looked around the room. She put her hand on her belly and felt the baby move. She recognizes where she was and looked at the clock. She had been asleep for thirty minutes. She got out of the bed and went to the bathroom. After a few minutes she walked into the kitchen and took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

Picking up her phone she called the only one who would understand what was going on.

"Jess, I'm scared." and she began to sob into the phone.

"Rory, where are you?" he quickly asked her. He hadn't heard her this upset since her mother had died.

"I am at Marty's apartment."

"Where's Marty? Didn't you have a doctor's appointment today?"

"Yes, we went earlier this morning. They did test, and I must go back at 5:30. We had lunch and then I came back and took a nap. Marty returned to his office to do some work"

"Ok, I will be right over. Turn on some music or the television."

"Thanks, Jess," she hiccupped into the phone.

Jess got off the phone and quickly texted Marty telling him about the phone call he just got from Rory. He left and was at the apartment in five minutes.

Jess knocked on Marty's door and Rory opened it. He took one look at her and pulled her into his arms.

"Ror, what happened?" he asked her as he shut the door behind him.

"I had another dream and this time I couldn't find Marty or my mom. I was in Stars Hollow and I went to see Sookie. I kept asking her where my mom was, and she sat me on a chair and gave me a sad smile."

"You know where Marty is, he is at the office and he will be right over. I texted him and told him that you called crying."

"Jess, no, you shouldn't bother him. He has too much to do."

"Ror, he wants to be with you. What are you afraid of?"

"I can't do this Jess, I can't raise this baby alone. What was Ace really doing in France?"

"Rory, you can do this, and Ace would want you and Marty to raise his son. He would want you to give the baby brothers and sisters."

"Jess, something isn't right, why is the FBI involved? What are Mitchum and Logan doing back in my life? Why is Tristan back in my life? The next thing you will know Dean will be knocking at my door," she told him.

"Now that would be funny," Jess chuckled.

She put her head on his shoulder and finally voiced her fears, "They might make me stop work. What will I do?"

"Who will make you stop work?"

"The doctor, my blood pressure is high. I took tests today and they are worried about me and the baby. I can't lose him. This is the last part of Ace that I have."

Jess held her as she cried. He also understood why she was afraid.

"Rory, listen to me. There is so many things you can do. You are not alone, and I want you to think about what you did after you graduated from Yale. You joined the campaign and made a name for yourself. You became a successful journalist and then went on to be a successful producer. Your mother raised you to be an independent woman. You're going to be an amazing mother. I am here and so is Marty who loves you. You also have Finn, Colin and Steph."

Rory started to dry her tears, suddenly the door opened and in walked Marty. He looked worried and he was a little jealous that she called Jess and not him. Marty walked over to them and knelt in front of her.

"Ror, Princess, I am here."

Rory looked at him and said, "I had a dream and I couldn't find you. I took the baby to Stars Hollow and I was looking for my mother. Sookie took me into her house. But Marty when I asked Tristan where you were, he told me everyone left."

She continued to ramble about her dream. How Mitchum and her grandmother were there and how her grandfather and Mother walked into the house.

Jess looked at Marty and they both nodded. The stress was getting to her. Marty was concerned because she would be going to the Hartford Charity Event at Chilton this weekend with her father. He hadn't told her, but he wouldn't be able to go with her. While he was at the office his mother called to tell him that his father was going into the hospital to have open heart surgery on Friday. Marty was going to leave Friday morning with Gabby, so they could be with their mother while their dad had surgery.

"Babe, don't worry. Jess and I are here, and we aren't going to leave you," he told her.

He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer for both he and Jess and an ice tea for Rory. He sat beside them on the couch. She sat up no longer laying with her head on Jess' shoulder. She smiled at him and took the ice tea.

"I am sorry guys, I am so hormonal. Jess you're right. I can do this. It's when I want to talk to my mother, my best friend, she's not there."

"I know, but I am your best friend and I promise you that I will always be there for you. You can call me anytime," Jess reminded her.

She hugged Jess and walked into the bathroom.

Jess explained where her anxiety was coming from. Marty told Jess about the trip on Friday he now must take to Florida. He asked him if he thinks she will be okay to go to the function with Christopher, when Rory went into the bathroom.

"I would call Christopher tonight and tell him about the appointment today and her fears. Let him know and if he wants I am available to attend in your place."

"That's sounds like a good plan."

Jess stayed a little while longer and talked about having dinner together on Thursday. Marty walked Jess to the door.

"Marty, you are the best thing that has happened to her. Don't leave her, she needs you now," Jess told him as they shook hands.

Marty closed the door and walked into their bedroom. She was sitting on the bed looking at their picture that was in the shell frame that Steph had given her. He pulled her up into his arms and hugged her. Taking her face in his hands he kissed her on the lips and told her, "Princess, we will get through this together, I promise."

Marty and Rory gathered their jackets and left soon after and returned to the doctor's office. This time they saw both Dr. Lawson and Gabby.

"Rory, the good news is that you don't' have Gestational Diabetes. But you need to be monitored for Preeclampsia," Doctor Lawson told her.

"I want you to have your blood pressure checked daily. If you see it become elevated again, you need to call us immediately. Now Gabby said that you signed up for a Yoga class and you had a prenatal massage?'

"Yes, I did," Rory responded.

"Good, start that Yoga class this week and I suggest that you have a massage weekly, that might help keep your anxiety down. However, if you blood pressure goes up again, we might need to hospitalize you and then have you change your work schedule," Dr. Lawson told her with a smile.

"Ok, I will, and Thank you for seeing me today," Rory said.

"Ok, so every Monday I want you to come in and have your urine checked for extra protein and have us check your blood pressure. Meanwhile, Gabby will give you the blood pressure machine that will hook up to your computer and send us the information daily. If we see any change, we will call you immediately to come in. You are to check your blood pressure in the morning and in the evening. I want to see the difference during the day."

They stood up to leave, and Dr. Lawson went and gave her a hug.

"Rory everything will be fine. I trust Gabrielle completely and she will be able to help you set everything up."

Shaking Marty's hand, she left the room. Gabrielle smiled at them and she followed them out to the reception area. Gabrielle went and got the blood pressure unit and then had them book her appointments for 9 am for the following Monday.

"I will see you in about forty-five minutes to help you set the blood pressure machine up," she told them.

"Well we will have dinner for you, how does Mexican sound? If Liam is around, invite him over too." Rory told her.

Gabby looked at her brother who smirked at her.

"Ok, I will."

She leaned in and hugged Rory and kissed her on the cheek. She kissed her brother and they left.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

Marty called Los Tacos No. 1 and placed an order for dinner to pick up on their way home. He had his driver stop at the Chelsea Market and he went in and picked up their meal while Rory waited in the car. While she was waiting, Rory decided to call Adélaïde and Nicolai.

"Hello, Rory is that you?"

"Yes. Maman, I thought I would tell you that I had another Ultrasound today and had more tests done."

"Are you ok? How is the baby?"

"Everything is going well. The baby is growing and today's picture he is sucking his thumb. I will mail it to you tomorrow. But the doctor is monitoring my blood pressure."

"Oh, how are you feeling? Do you have headaches?"

"No, just some nightmares, and of course work has been stressful."

"Maman, Marty asked me to marry him," she told her

"Marty? Oh, the young man that is your friend from college."

"He is really a good man. He wants to take care of me and the baby. He has been wonderful. I hope you are not disappointed."

"No, Rory. I understand. Bring him for a visit so we can get to know him better."

"Thank you Maman and send my love to Papa," she said.

"Au revoir," she told her.

Just as Marty opened the car door she ended her call. Smiling at Marty she told him that she called Ace's parents and told them about their engagement.

Taking her hand, he asked her, "What did they say?"

"Maman said that we need to visit so they can get to know you better."

Putting her hand to his lips he smiled and said, "Then we will, soon. Now there is something I need to tell you. When I went back to the office I received a phone call from my mother. My dad has to go to the hospital and have open heart surgery."

"Oh no, Marty we must go," she said immediately.

"No, you stay here and keep your routine. I want you to go to the Hartford's Annual Fundraiser with your father this weekend. Gabby and I will fly down Friday and be home on Monday. Jess knows I am going and he said he will check on you."

"Are you sure, my dad will understand if I go with you."

"No, Gabby and I discussed it and we would prefer that you did not fly right now."

Rory pouted but understood. Maybe she can stay with her father for the weekend.

"Well maybe I will go to Hartford early and stay with my father for the weekend," she told him.

"I think that is a great idea. Take the car service and then when you are ready to return call them and they will pick you up."

They pulled up in front of their apartment building. The driver opened the door for them. He told the driver he will call them tomorrow morning and the two of them walked into the lobby to the elevator. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. She was carrying the bags of food. Kissing her on the forehead she snuggled beside him as they rode the elevator to his floor. They walked to his apartment and he slipped his key into the door and they walked in. She took the bags into the kitchen and turned on the warming oven that he had. She was learning her way around his kitchen. She took off the paper covers and put foil on them and placed them in the oven to stay warm until Liam and Gabby got there.

She walked into the bathroom and quickly changed into her yoga pants and a long sweatshirt. She braided her hair and let it hang down her back. She walked out into the front room but didn't see Marty. Grabbing a bottle of water, she called him. He was in the back bedroom looking around. When she walked in she put her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his back.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked her.

"I think so. I was so worried that I would be put on bedrest."

"Well I think we should look for a bigger apartment," he told her.

"Why?"

"Well, your books are taking up space for the baby. We need a nursery here and one in Hartford. We have the bedroom space in Hartford. I think there is a three-bedroom in this building. I think I will tell them I am interested, and we can look at it."

"Oh, you are right, the baby will be here before we know it," she said.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"I assumed you want to continue to work after the baby is born? And if you don't I want you nearby. I am in the city more than in Hartford, so I don't want to spend an hour on the train or more each day. I want to be nearby so I can spend as much time with the two of you."

"Marty, you are so wonderful."

The two of them stood in the spare bedroom kissing when they heard the knock on their apartment door. Slowly they broke apart and Marty went to answer the door. Rory walked out and went into the kitchen and began to take out plates to set the table.

Gabby walked in carrying the blood pressure machine and Liam followed behind with a box of Macaroons and a bottle of Rose. Marty took the box and bottle from Liam and Gabby asked him where did they want to put the blood pressure machine. Usually, Marty would have told her the spare bedroom but with his desk n there with his computer and all her boxes of books he decided that wouldn't work. They decided to hook it up to her laptop. Gabby took Rory's laptop and downloaded the app for it. She then showed them how to hook the machine to the computer and then showed them how to put the cuff on Rory. They decided to have dinner first before Ror took her blood pressure. Rory took out the food from the oven and placed them on serving dishes that she found in Marty's cupboards with the help of Gabby.

"Wow, he has more dishes than I did," she told Gabby.

Gabby laughed, 'Yes, I noticed. I gather you never cooked?"

"No. my mother never cooked in fact Luke made sure we never had sharp objects around my mother." The two girls laughed.

"You will have to tell me about your mother, Rory, she sounds like she was a character."

"Yes, she was very special, she was my best friend," Rory said wistfully.

The two couples sat and enjoyed the Mexican food and each other's company. Rory told the three of them stories about her mother and her childhood in Stars Hollow. She decided that they needed to go and visit Stars Hollow when Gabby and Marty returned. The best time to go would be for Thanksgiving. Last year she had missed Thanksgiving, but this year she decided they needed to go. She would call Luke and tell him so that he and Sookie could plan a Thanksgiving Dinner together. Liam and Gabby left around nine o'clock and Marty and Rory went to bed. As they lay together in their new bed, they talked about the baby.

"Are you going to be ok, Babe?"

"Yes, Jess reminded me that I could do this. I promise I will take it easy. Marty, I missed the meeting today with Dan, Chris, and Charlie about what they found out in France. Do you think they will tell me?"

"I am sure they will. We need to make a promise to each other," he told her.

"What's that?"

"No secrets. No secrets about our past, the present, and the future. You need to tell me when you are hurting, and I promise to tell you too. We both kept things to ourselves when we were younger, and we almost lost each other."

"I know, I promise I will tell you everything that is bothering me. But please understand that since my mother died, Jess became the person I would call."

"I know, and I understand that. But Rory, I want you to also call me, anytime, all the time."

She put her hands on the side of his face and kissed him deeply. She then put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. He held her close to him and tried not to worry about the information that he heard today. Mitchum was involved more than they knew, and Ace was uncovering this information when he was killed.

Dan had set up a meeting with Liam, Chris, and Charlie at the studio in Charlie's office for seven o'clock that evening. He wanted to go over what he had found out on his trip to France before he said anything else to Rory.

After his news show was over he went back to his office and changed his clothes then took the elevator to Charlie's office. He knocked on the door. Chris and Liam were already sitting there having a drink and talking about the latest news broadcast.

"Come in, Dan. Would you like a drink?"

Nodding Dan said, "Whatever you are having is fine."

He poured him a bourbon on ice and handed him the drink.

"Thanks," Dan said as he accepted the drink, "I wanted to talk to the three of you about what I found out while we were in France."

"Ok," Liam said, "Was there a connection with the Huntzbergers?"

"Oh yes, a big connection. Apparently, Mitchum Huntzberger had invested with the Fontane Family, and when the embezzlement charges were filed and with the money laundering he lost millions of the company's monies. Logan was smart to break that engagement, or he would have been implemented. They had no direct link with the HPG, but it was noted that they lost a lot of money. However, Mitchum kept this hidden from his board. Now with Logan taking his money out of the company it appears that the company is hemorrhaging money."

"There was something in Ace's past before he met Rory that connected the three of them." Dan said

Liam looked up at Charlie and asked, "His past? What could the connection be?"

This time Charlie spoke up, "When Ace was working in Europe he became involved with Odette. He had broken it off with her and she then accused him of being the father of her unborn child when Logan broke off their engagement. He began to investigate who she was involved with he knew he wasn't the father and had his DNA checked."

"This is where it gets interesting," Dan continued, "When Ace learned of her engagement was broken, he suspected that the Fontanes where cooking up something, so he began to investigate the Huntzbergers. That led him to Rory. It was coincidence that they met. He was quite taken by her. It didn't take him long to really fall in love with her."

"I had tried to warn her to be careful and so did Chris Cuomo, since we both knew Ace well and his reputation. But Chris confirmed that this was a man in love and he would move heaven and earth for Rory." Charlie added.

"Ace approached me when he realized that he no longer wanted to travel and that he wanted a family with Rory. He wanted to tie up loose ends in France before he took the new job. He had his DNA results proving that he was not the father. Before he and Rory were married, he wanted to make sure that that he was no longer being blackmailed," Charlie continued.

"Blackmailed for what?" Liam asked.

"From what I can gather," Dan explained, "Ace thought that he was being blackmailed by the Fontane family."

"Then out of nowhere Mitchum had offered him a job as the head news director for all the publishing in HPG. Ace refused it, but apparently, Mitchum was still trying to convince him to take it," Charlie added.

"So that's when Ace began to investigate HPG?" Liam asked.

"I believe so. He had no idea that the FBI was involved. Apparently back in 2014 and 2015, the Fontane family was being investigated, and Marty was working with them as a financial analyst, they embezzled money from their US holdings which were never found." Dan said.

""The black books, the cards and the documents we found have something to do with that?" Liam asked

"Marty gave them all to his friend at the FBI, they have them now, "Liam added.

"What I can't understand is why Rory is being harassed now by Mitchum, and if Logan is involved? I've known Logan awhile, he was engaged to my sister during this time. He had left London, but he and his father were arguing a lot back then. From what Rory said, she hadn't seen Logan until Ace had died," Dan told the group.

"Chris, how did Ace meet Rory?" Liam asked him directly since he had known Rory the longest in the group of men here.

"I was with her, we were attending the Correspondents Dinner in May of 2014 that the Obama's held. Rory had been a reporter on his campaign trail and was noticed by the Obama team and many news agencies. She was bright, energetic and very smart. I had just hired her to join me with CBS. We were standing around and Ace came over and said hello to the group we were standing with. He took one look at her and attached himself to her. She didn't fall for his lines, and walked away from him."

"Yes, Ace was very charming, and he had been with most of the female newscasters there," Charlie added.

"But Rory kept putting him in his place. At first, I thought it was a game for Ace. No one had ever ignored him. Being French, but also being educated her in the US, he often would brag about how American women couldn't resist him. But he met Rory."

"By July he was chasing her, and no longer heading off to France. He brought her home to meet his parents which he never did before. When her mother became ill, he was there with her the whole time. He also became friends with her friends. He especially became close to that author friend of hers, Mariano," Chris continued.

"So, you don't think he knew she was involved with the Huntzbergers before?" Liam asked.

"I am not sure if he did, but I wouldn't be surprised if he found out later. He was a great investigative reporter. I am wondering now why they were blackmailing him."

"Chris, how is Rory doing now? She took time off today, and I know that they are worried about her, Marty especially." Dan asked.

Liam cleared his throat, he wondered if he should share what he knew, but then decided that it wasn't his information to tell.

Instead, he stood up and said, "Gentleman, I think we need to table this discussion and meet with the two lawyers that have the notebooks and go over what the information reveals."

"Good idea, Liam. See what you can find out when you are with the Huntzbergers too. Is Rory still going to meet up with Logan?" Charlie asked.

"That I am not sure of, I guess we need to wait and see," Dan said.

Before she left the next morning, Marty and Rory discussed what she could do to keep working but also make sure she and the baby stay healthy. Rory decided that she would meet with Chris. Before she left she called Chris and he told her to come to his office when she came in. At nine o'clock, Rory walked into the studio and went directly to Chris' office. Charlie, Dan, and Chris were waiting for her when she walked into his office.

"Rory, I hope everything went well yesterday at your doctor's appointment," Chris told her.

"That's what I want to talk to you about. They are very worried because my blood pressure is higher than they want to see it which puts me and the baby at risk. Right now, every Monday morning I need to go to the Doctor's office and have my blood drawn, blood pressure checked and my urine. I also must have my blood pressure taken daily. I will need to adjust my hours at work if it is possible," she told them.

"Rory, you're our best producer and we definitely can lighten your load and give you help. Are you willing to delegate more?" Charlie asked with a smile on his face.

"Yes, I can. It is for the baby, but once 'little Ace' is born than I can return to my normal duties," she said.

"Did you decided to name the baby after Ace?" Dan asked her.

"No, I am waiting to see what he looks like when he is born, but for now we have nicknamed him little Ace because he is so active. It was Marty's idea," she explained to the group.

"Well I will have Colleen become your assistant and I have a new girl starting today, she is a Yale graduate, the same year that you were there. Her name is Joan Sounders," Charlie told them.

"Joanie? I haven't seen Joanie since we graduated. She was one of my staffers when I was the editor of the paper," Rory told them.

"When she comes in I will make sure I bring her to your office, maybe you might like to have her work with you too," Charlie said.

"Dan, it's up to you," Rory told him.

"Hey, Rory, it's fine by me. I need my Lois to be in tip-top shape," he smiled at her and grabbed her hand.

"Ok, so we are set. Dan let Colleen know that she will also be working with Rory now, have Brie, take over some of Rory's duties, and Rory you pass off the running about to the girls and you pick the stories you want to do and then you, Brie, and Dan can set up the program."

"Thank you both so much," she got up and hugged them both.

Dan and Rory walked to the elevator together and went into her office. He shut the door and they both sat down. In a few minutes, Brie came in with tea for Rory and coffee for her and Dan.

"We need to talk, Rory," Brie told Rory.

"What is wrong? You're not quitting, are you?" Rory looked at her and Dan. She was getting worried and put her hand on her belly feeling the kicks of Little Ace.

"No, it's nothing like that. We want you to be the first to know. Dan and I are seeing each other," Dan took a hold of Brie's hand.

"Oh, is that all? I have been expecting that to happen since the two of you went to Buffalo together," she said and began to laugh.

"We also found out some interesting information when we're in France," Dan added.

"Oh?"

"Ace had known Odette and they had been dating."

"When was this?"

"2012 -2014," Dan told her.

"Was that when she was engaged with Logan?"

"Yes, they were engaged, and he broke it two weeks before the wedding. Soon after that, he began to date my sister and they became engaged in 2015. My sister broke it off when she caught him cheating."

"Ace was involved with Odette," she said softly, "You know Quentin worked for HPG then and he told me he quit because there was a lot of fighting going on between Logan and his father, even though Logan was in London at the time."

"Well, I guess the next thing I need to do is talk to Quentin," Dan told her.

Just then Chris walked in with Joan Sounders.

"Joan, I would like you to meet our executive producer, our anchor and the assistant producer here at CBS. Rory Gilmore, Dan Sheppard and Brianna O Brien."

"Rory? Oh, my goodness is that really you?" Joan went right over and hugged Rory.

"Joanie, it is so good to see you and welcome to our family."

"Well Joan, I am sure Rory can take you around and help you get started."

Chris left, and the two classmates sat down catching up with each other. Brie and Dan left knowing that Rory would be able to let Joan know what her role would be on the team.

Joanie was excited to be working with Rory again. She had worked for a few magazines since college and enjoyed it. Her break came when she started to produce for some small television studios near her hometown and eventually the small local cable news companies. She was ready to move to the city and start a new life when her boyfriend of 8 years broke up with her. Still looking for a rich husband she decided to move to New York City. Once coming here, she liked being a single woman and enjoyed her independence. She commuted each day from Queens but didn't mind the commute. When the phone call came for the interview she didn't put much hope into it, but she made sure she included her experience on the Yale Daily News in her resume. So here she is working again with Rory Gilmore. She always admired Rory's work ethic and how she had handled Paris Geller with grace and ease since no one else could and everyone was afraid of her.

Rory took her under her wing and had explained that she had to limit her workload since they were worried about her pregnancy. The day went quickly, and Rory had Joanie work with Colleen and Brie the rest of the day. Rory left at 3:30 because she was feeling tired.

Rory contacted the car service and it was waiting for her outside the lobby when she got there. She had decided to go home and take a nap before Marty got there. She quickly texts Marty letting him know that she was on her way home. Upon arriving home, Rory picked up all her mail that had recently been forwarded there. She must remember to do an address change at the post office. As she sorted through the mail, she placed her mail on the table in the bedroom that Marty set up for her and her laptop. She noticed the large envelope that she had received from her Grandmother Francine on her birthday. With everything that happened since she never opened it.

Returning to the kitchen she grabbed a bottle of water and an apple and took the letter to their large living room. She opened the envelope and began to read it. It was a formal letter from her Grandmother's lawyer. In the letter, it informed her that she was to inherit the three large publishing houses in England along with a substantial amount of money. This all took effect on October 8th, her birthday. She immediately stood up and walked into the back bedroom where Marty had a copier and a fax machine set up. She made a copy of the letter and sent a fax of the letter to Marty and Colin. She then called the car service to have her meet her out front. When the car arrived, she had them bring her to Marty's office. She walked into the office and went directly to his secretary, Rita

"Hello, Ms. Gilmore. How can I help you today? Is Mr. Knight expecting you?" Rita greeted her.

"Rita, he isn't but it is very important that I see him. I just sent him a fax of a letter I received. Is he available?"

"He is on the phone, why don't you follow me, I am sure he wants to see you."

Rory followed Rita to Marty's office. His door was closed when she knocked. She waited outside so not to interrupt him. Rita came out and held the door open so that she could go in. Marty ended his call and walked over to her and gave her a kiss.

"Mm, I like these surprises. Are you feeling ok? I thought you were going to take a nap."

With his arm around her waist, he walked her over to the couch that was set up in his office. He poured her a glass of water that he had in his office and handed it to her.

"Trying to keep me running to the bathroom?" she teased. "This little guy enjoys using my bladder for a punching bag."

"Well, I guess I better talk to him", and leaning down he began to talk to her belly,

"Little Ace, please be nice to mommy. I think it's time to take a nap." He placed his hand on her belly and felt a kick. They both began to laugh.

"Well that didn't work," she told him as she leaned against him his arm was on her shoulder.

"I was going through my mail and I found the letter that Francine gave us the day of my birthday. I forgot to open it since we had so much going on with Tristan, Logan, and Mitchum. I sent Colin a fax of the letter. But here is a copy of the letter and the original." She reached into her tote and pulled out the envelope that included the copy and the original and handed them to him. He quickly read the letter and walked over to his office phone and called Rita.

"Rita will you get Mr. McCrea on the phone immediately and tell him that I need to speak to him."

"Yes, Mr. Knight."

"Well Ms. Gilmore, it seems that you just became very wealthy. You and I need to go over all your assets and then find out more about these three publishing houses."

Marty's phone rang, and he put Colin on speakerphone.

"Colin, Rory's here, she sent you a fax, did you receive it?"

"Hi Rory, yes I received it and it seems like Rory you have three very lucrative publishing houses. You may want to take a trip to England sometime and check them out. I will send them a letter to confirm the transfer of ownership and a letter to your grandmother's lawyers. Marty, will you be going over the financials with Rory on this?"

"Yes Colin, I will. Babe, do you have any questions for Colin?" he asked her before he ended the call.

"No, I am stunned. I guess I will talk to my dad about this, this weekend," she said.

"Okay, Colin, I will be in touch about the other matter we were working on before. Are you coming to the city tomorrow?" Marty asked Colin.

"Yes, I will see you tomorrow Marty, and tell Rory that Steph will be coming into the city with me tomorrow too. Maybe we can have dinner."

"Sounds good, see you both tomorrow. Goodbye."

It was four thirty by now and Marty looking at Rory asked, "Are you ready to go have some dinner, Babe?"

Smiling she nodded. He called his secretary and told her that they were leaving and then he escorted Rory out of his office and into the parking garage, where he parked his car.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

With the extra help in the newsroom, the week went by quickly. Joanie spent a lot of time learning the ropes with Colleen and Brie. Brie would still check on Rory making sure she ate and rested. Rory would spend most of her day checking the schedule making sure the stories would fit in the allotted time. She got up and walked around the office more. Having the flats seem to help her back and legs. She noticed that the baby was active by mid-day and the more commotion going on around her the more active the baby became. In the morning and evening, Marty would check her blood pressure. It was still higher in the evening, but staying in the safe area.

Gabby came by on Wednesday after work to check on her. Rory was busy cooking the chicken, broccoli and pasta dish that Marty had taught her. When Rory had answered the door wearing an apron with a cooking spoon in her hand, Gabby was surprised.

"What smells so delicious?" Gabby asked her as Rory poured her a glass of wine.

"Dinner, I am cooking, chicken, broccoli, and pasta that your brother taught me how to make."

"Well, it smells yummy."

"Do you want to stay? I made more than enough."

"No, I can't. I have a date."

"Oooh, with Liam?" Rory asked her smiling.

"Yes, and he is taking me to Delmonico's for dinner." Gabby motioned for Rory to go and sit down while she adjusted the blood pressure cuff on her arm.

"Don't cross your ankles and relax," she told Rory as she watched the cuff inflate.

"Your numbers look very good so far. Have you started the yoga classes yet?" Gabby asked her.

"No they start this weekend, but I will have to miss it because I am going to Hartford, while you and Marty are in Florida. By the way, how is your mother doing?"

Gabby looked at the numbers and typed them into the computer and on her phone.

"She is doing okay, she is nervous, but we told her everything will be fine. We will leave around three. I guess we are using the company's private plane. I still can't get over that my brother has a successful law firm that owns its own plane."

"And a helicopter," Rory added. "Welcome to the world of Colin McCrae, Finn Morgan, Robert Grimaldi, Logan Huntzberger and now Martin Knight. To think the first time Marty went out to dinner with them, he didn't have enough money to cover his share of the meal and I paid. Now I have no idea how much money he has, but he just bought us a place in the Hamptons and we are looking for a larger apartment."

"Do you think Liam is that wealthy too?" Gabby asked.

"Yes, maybe more, he invested in Logan's company," Rory answered and walked into the kitchen.

"Wow," Gabby said taking a sip of her wine.

"Don't let it get to you. You never get used to it, but if you worry about it, it will ruin a relationship and a friendship. Believe me, I know."

"What do you mean?" Gabby asked her.

Rory sat down next to Gabby on the couch and began to tell her about her life before Yale, and then what it was like when she met the boys. She confessed to Gabby about her feelings about her brother when they were in college, and about Logan. How everything changed after she said no and what brought her to where she was now.

"But the difference now is that your brother, no matter how much money he has, is still Marty. My study buddy, my best friend and now the man I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"So have you two set a date yet?" Gabby asked.

"No we haven't talked about it," Rory admitted to Gabby.

"Well, I can't wait till you become my sister," she said as she hugged her.

"Aww, neither can I. Now please give my love to your parents for me."

Rory walked Gabby to the door and they said goodbye. Right after she left Marty came home. Rory was wearing the locket on that he had given her. He noticed it right away when she went over to kiss him when he walked in.

"You're wearing my grandmother's locket," he said as he kissed her lips then kissed her neck.

"Yes I am, and I am happy to report that dinner is made and my blood pressure is still in the normal range. Unless you keep doing that and I am sure it will go higher," she laughed as he continued to pepper kisses on her neck, ear, and lips.

He laughed and went into the bathroom and changed as she set the table. He came out of the kitchen and helped her drain the pasta then added it to the bowl with the chicken and broccoli and sauce mixture. She had made a salad and it was on the table along with the Italian bread that she had bought earlier. She grabbed an ice tea and a beer for him and they sat down and had dinner. After the dinner was complete, the dishes were washed and put away, they sat together on the couch. She was leaning against his shoulder as he turned on the evening news.

"Gabby asked me today if we set a wedding date," she told him.

He looked down at her and was surprised that she brought it up.

"What did you tell her?"

"That we hadn't discussed it yet. So, do you want to talk about it?" she asked him.

"Well, of course, but I was going to give you time. I felt that I might have rushed you when I asked you to marry me on your birthday. I didn't want to scare you."

She sat up and looked him in the eyes. "No, you are not scaring me, in fact when you mentioned the other day about the size of the apartment, it got me thinking, we do need a bigger place, and we can put our money together and buy an apartment instead of renting. What do you think?" she said.

"So what are you saying, Ror, are we going to do this before or after the baby is born?"

"Marty, do you still want to adopt Ace's baby? Raise him to be your son?" she asked him.

"Yes, I do."

"Then let's talk to our families and get married before the baby is born in January."

"I love you, Rory Gilmore," he said as he cupped her face in his hands and gave her a kiss.

"I love you too, Marty."

On Friday Rory went with Marty and Gabby. They took the car to Hartford where the private jet was. Marty had the driver drop Rory off at her Grandmother Hayden's home. He stood outside the door kissing her goodbye. Finally, she told him to leave and call her when they land. He promised that he would. Rory picked up her bag and her dress and went inside. Gigi was still in school and her father was at work. Her grandmother was very happy to see her and gave her a big hug.

"Let me call the maid and have her take your things to the guest room," she told Rory.

Carmilla, the maid, came out and took the bag and dress from her. Francine led Rory into her kitchen area. She loved her sunny kitchen and breakfast nook, even though she employed a cook, Francine preferred to eat in there than the formal dining room.

The cook had a pot of tea steeping for them and a plate of Macaroons. Macaroons were Francine's favorite cookie and Rory told her that they were her favorite too.

"Grandma, I want to thank you for the letter you gave me. I want to tell you that it is too much. Really you don't have to do that for me."

"Don't be ridiculous Rory, the publishing houses belonged to my brother William who died and left them to me to bequeath them to my oldest grandchild, which is you. My brother like you was a journalist and as he became successful he bought these publishing houses. Your father and I discussed this at length. He has set Gigi up and as you know has set up a trust for you and now one for your son. However, this trust is for you. I know that you said you are set, but I want you to have it now. I tried to do more when you were little, Straub was so angry with your mother and father. He felt that they both were too young and that they had ruined their lives. When your mother had left Hartford with you and we did not know where you were, he refused to give me permission to have anything to do with you, your mother or your grandparents. It was a very lonely time for me."

"Oh Grandmother I am so sorry, I am so glad that we are close now."

Rory got up and hugged her grandmother.

"Now tell me, have you and Marty set a wedding date yet my dear?"

"Funny you should ask me that grandmother, we were just talking about it. I want to talk to dad and Luke about it and Ace's parents. Marty wants to adopt the baby so when he is born he has his name."

"But why do you need to talk to your father and Luke? This is a decision for you and Martin," her grandmother told her.

"Grandmother, I just don't want to rush into it too fast," she whispered.

"Rory, listen to me, your father waited and waited to marry your mother. He would not listen to me, and then when it happened, he was jealous because your mother's heart belonged to another man. If your heart belongs to Martin, don't wait. Life is too short."

They finished their tea and as they were putting their teacups in the sink, Gigi came into the house through the kitchen door.

"Grand-mere I am home," Gigi hollered as she rushed into the house.

"Georgia, how many times do I need to tell you that I have not lost my hearing yet, and we have company."

"Rory, oh I am so happy to see you." She hugged Rory almost knocking her over.

The two girls sat down at the breakfast nook and began to talk about her school and her classes. Some of the same teachers that Rory had were still there. Even Max Medina had returned and was still teaching English. She wondered if he would be there tomorrow evening. It would be good to see him and Headmaster Charleston. Christopher returned home shortly after Gigi came into the house. By this time, Rory had excused herself and gone upstairs to rest. She was very tired.

Christopher knocked at her door.

"Rory, are you awake, honey?" he asked as he opened the door. "We are going to eat dinner soon."

"Oh, yes, Dad, I am awake. I was just resting. The little guy was kicking up a storm earlier and I found out that if I lay down for a bit he settles down. I think he misses Marty," she said.

She sat up on the edge of the bed and Chris came and sat beside her. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug.

"Are you okay, kiddo?" he asked her.

"Well yes and no. My blood pressure needs to be monitored. I brought everything with me. The blood pressure machine is hooked up to my laptop and I was going to ask you to help me with it later tonight."

"Sure I can do that. I mean anything else you want to talk about?"

"Maybe tomorrow, I am hungry and so is this little guy," she added.

They both laughed and walked out of the bedroom and downstairs to the dining room.

The next evening was the Annual Hartford Fundraiser Gala. Rory had spoken to Marty often since he left. As promised he called as soon as he touched down, she was able to speak to both his parents when they arrived, and she called him once she got into bed. They spoke to each other for an hour before she fell asleep. He hung up the phone when he heard her breathing deepen. He hoped that she would have a restful sleep. As usual, she was sleeping in his Yale t-shirt and had brought one of his other t-shirts that she was holding. His scent always relaxed her, and she felt safe holding it when he was away.

Saturday evening, as she began to get ready for the Gala, she was thinking about when they should get married. Should they wait until the baby was born, or should they get married before? She wasn't concerned about this Gala, she was used to them. She hoped that she wouldn't have to spend time with her Grandmother Emily because she would hate to make a scene. Her Grandmother Francine and father promised to keep Emily away and to remind Emily not to make a scene. They had even arranged a breakfast for all of them the next day at Francine's home. Hoping that this would appease Emily.

Gigi knocked on Rory's door.

"Rory, would you like me to do your hair?" Gigi asked her big sister.

"Oh I would love that and any advice you have. I brought two dresses with me, but I am not sure which one to wear."

She had brought two dresses that she had purchased at the Peas and the Pod store in the city. One was a deep emerald green that was made of lace and was strapless. The other was a royal blue with a lace top and open back. Immediately Gigi's eyes went on the deep emerald green dress.

"Oh definitely this one," she told her big sister.

"I can put your hair up in a French braid."

"Ok, thank you for making that decision for me."

Rory sat at the vanity while her sister brushed her hair. It felt so good. It had been a while since someone close to her had brushed her hair. Ace had enjoyed doing it, in the evenings before they went to sleep. It always relaxed her, she closed her eyes remembering the last time he did it. It was a week before he went away. They had talked about selling his apartment and looking for a larger place.

"Rory, what do you think?" Gigi asked her and handed her the hand mirror. She had finished styling her hair while Rory was daydreaming about Ace.

Looking at herself she told her, "Gigi, this is beautiful. You have a talent, take a picture and I will send it to Anthony."

Gigi took a picture from the back and front of her hair. Then she helped Rory put on her dress and took another picture. They sent the three pictures to Anthony, so he could see her hair. She also sent the picture of her in the green dress to Marty making sure she had the right message open when she sent it.

She placed the locket with the K around her neck and chose a simple diamond stud to wear on her ears. Gigi returned to the room and gave her the emerald stud that she had and insisted that she wear those instead of the diamonds. Knowing that it would make her sister happy she did. She gave her a hug and walked down the stairs with her. When her father heard his daughters talking and walking down the stairs he stopped and smiled.

"Wow, Rory, you're glowing. It reminds me of how beautiful you looked at your coming out party."

"Thanks, dad, except I wasn't six months pregnant then."

"No, but you are more beautiful now."

He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay Gigi, Carmillia is here with you, no wild parties while I am gone, and I will be checking in," he told his youngest daughter.

Francine walked in with a two-piece emerald green dress. Rory had no idea that her grandmother was wearing this color when she bought the dress. She turned to her little sister and gave her a hug.

Whispering in her ear she said, "You knew that grandmother had a dress this color, didn't you?"

Gigi just gave her sister a smirk and a wink. Her dad escorted both women out the door.

Pulling up to Chilton brought back a rush of memories for Rory. She wondered if she would see any of her old teachers there. Christopher had told her that it was Mr. Charleston's last year. She wondered what Francie was doing and Madeline and Louise. The last time she saw those two girls was when she went to spring break and ran into them in Florida with Paris. She knew that Paris and Doyle weren't coming. Paris had to work at the hospital this weekend and Doyle was getting ready for his new job. Paris told her to say hello to everyone for her. Since this was a Hartford event there would be other people from Hartford attending, including women from the DAR and her grandmother Emily.

Her father escorted them both in. She looked around and smiled. The dining hall had been decorated with the Fall foliage and looked beautiful. The tickets were a thousand dollars apiece and her father had bought four of them.

As they walked into the room Rory noticed some people that looked familiar. Her father found a table for them and had her put her wrap and purse on the table beside her grandmother. Rory walked over to the bar with her father. He ordered her a Virgin Pina Colada and an Apple bourbon with soda and a twist for himself and one for his mother. He knew his mother would enjoy the drink and she would nurse it all night. As they were walking back to the table, Rory heard her name being called in unison. Running towards her was Madalyn and Louise. Rory had not seen these two "girls" since their freshman year and college. They hugged Rory and immediately wanted to know where she was living and what she was doing and where was her husband. Before she could answer, Federal Agent Dugrey came over and put his arm on her shoulder.

"Mary, there you are, I thought after I left you in the bathroom you would have come right back to me. Hello ladies," he smiled at Madalyn and Louise.

"Tristan Dugrey?!" the two women said in unison.

Tristan then escorted Rory to a table for two. He noticed her walk in with her father. He wondered where Marty was and since they were alone he was able to talk to her.

"Well I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you at Marty's home last week, or that you were the woman that he was engaged to. You do look amazing."

"Thank you, Tristan, still charming as ever. But my name is still Rory," she chuckled.

Taking her hand in his he said, "You will always be my Mary."

The band was playing, and he pulled her up, "You owe me some dances, Ms. Gilmore."

"Oh I do?" She laughed, and they began to dance. They danced about four songs before a slow song came on. He pulled her into his arms and they began to dance.

"So where is Marty?" he finally asked her.

"His father had open heart surgery today and he is in Florida. He will come back on Monday."

Just then Tristan felt a tap on his shoulder and a voice that was all too familiar said, "May I cut in?"

Tristan looked at Rory and then gave Rory up to the man who wanted to dance with her. It was Mitchum.

Rory felt herself become very stiff and uncomfortable. She looked around the room for Tristan or someone else she knew.

"Rory, I must say you do look beautiful tonight. I am sorry that I upset you the other night when you went to your grandmothers for dinner," he said to her.

Rory looked into his gray eyes and said, "What do you want Mr. Huntzberger. I told you I don't need money, I am not interested in working for HPG or for Logan. Now if you would excuse me."

"No Rory, let me explain myself to you," Mitchum held her and wouldn't let her go.

"Mitchum let me go, I am finished dancing." She pushed herself away from him and turned and rushed towards the bathroom.

In the bathroom, she found a stall. She hid in there for about five minutes. She came out and went and checked her makeup. She didn't want to run into him again and texted her father and asked him if he could meet her outside the ladies' room door. She got an answer and waited for the count of ten and opened the door. As she walked out into the hallway she bumped into Mr. Medina. He was heading into the event.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to bump into you," he said embarrassed not recognizing her.

"Mr. Medina? Rory, Rory Gilmore," she said and smiled up at him.

"Oh my goodness, Rory you look," looking at her up and down he didn't know what to say.

Rory laughed.

"Pregnant? How are you? My sister said you are still teaching here."

"Your sister? I don't think I have a Gilmore this year in class."

"No, her name is Hayden, Gigi Hayden."

"Gigi is your sister?" He asked in surprise. "Well, I never would have guessed. And you, what are you doing now? Is your husband here? I would like to meet him," Max asked her.

"I am working at CBS as an executive producer for the evening news. And the father of my child was killed in France, in May. He was a journalist," she told him looking away, so he couldn't see her tears.

"Oh Rory, I am so sorry," he reached out and stroked her arm.

"So are you here tonight with your mother?" he asked anxious to see Lorelai after all these years.

"Oh, I guess you never heard, my mother died last year from cancer."

This time she could not stop the tears from falling down her face. Just then her dad came up to her. Relieved to see her father, she brushed the tears from her face and began to introduce her father to Mr. Medina.

"Oh Dad, I want you to meet Max Medina, he was one of my teachers."

"Mr. Medina, this is my father Christopher Hayden."

"Nice to meet you. Roy, I am so sorry for your loss. Your mother was a special woman, I will remember her fondly. Well, Rory, I need to get back in, but it was nice to see you. We will have to catch up some time," he told her and gave her a hug.

Shaking Christopher's hand, he said, "Nice to meet you too Mr. Hayden. I guess I will be seeing you soon since Gigi is in my class."

"So that was Max Medina, I pictured him taller, "her dad said to her as they walked back into the cafeteria.

"Sweetie, are you ok? I watched you dancing with that older man. Who is he? You didn't seem happy dancing with him. Is that why you sent me the text?"

"He's Logan Huntzbergers father, Mitchum Huntzberger - they live here in Hartford."

As they walked back in, she noticed that Shira and Mitchum were now sitting at the table with her grandmother.

"Dad, I don't want to go and sit there, can you dance with me?"

"Sure, can you tell me what's going on?"

"I wish I knew. He was at Grandmother Emily's house when I went with Luke, Marty, and Jess last week. He brought Logan with him and I was completely blindsided. Logan and I are friends now, and he understands that I love Marty. When we went to dinner, I thought I was going there to get an apology from her but instead they were there," she told him angrily.

They continued to dance and then walked over to the balcony to get some air. There was a bar out there, it was a warm night for October. The east coast was enjoying an Indian summer. Christopher could tell she was still upset, so he changed the subject.

"So my little girl graduated Valedictorian from this school. I was talking to Headmaster Charleston awhile ago. He still thinks very highly of you."

She smiled up at him. Putting his arm around her shoulder he pulled her in for a hug.

"You know Rory, I never tell you enough how proud I am of everything that you have accomplished. You are a strong woman, just like your mom. I know how much you miss her, I do too," he told her.

Rory's eyes began to mist up. He kissed her on the top of her head and they stood there looking out over the evening. There was a harvest moon shining that evening.

"Dad, I need to talk to you. I was thinking about setting a wedding date. I am not sure if we should get married before the baby comes, or wait till after," she tells him.

"Ror, what does Marty want to do?"

"He told me he didn't want to rush me, and he isn't. I want to be Mrs. Martin Knight, but I am worried that it is too soon, and I am not sure how Ace's family will feel about it. Plus, there is the investigation going on."

"Investigation?"

Looking around she spoke softly, "I can't say too much here, too many ears. Let's go back inside."

He walked her back inside and before they left he got her another drink. They found a table that was set up for four and sat down.

"Ror, whatever you decide to do is fine. I will go with you if you need me to talk to the Gerrards. But I don't think they will have a problem with it. Do you love Marty?"

"Yes I do," she told her father.

"Then, you are not doing this because you are afraid to be alone? Because Hon, I am here for you this time. I promise I will not abandon you."

"Oh dad, I know, and I do love him. It is different this time. This feeling I have for Marty seems like forever. We have known each other, and I feel like I am home and safe with him," she admitted to her father.

Smiling at her, he squeezed her hand.

"Good, now please tell me who that man is that is coming over here. I saw him dancing with you earlier."

"Oh Dad, that is Tristan Dugrey, aka Bible Boy, Spawn of Satan," she chuckled as Tristan came closer.

"Mar, I thought you ran away from me again," Tristan said as he sat down.

Putting his hand out to shake Christopher's hand he introduced himself, "Tristan Dugrey."

"Tristan, nice to meet you finally. I am Rory's father. I had heard stories about you."

Looking at Rory he raised his eyebrow up at her, "Oh really. And what would those stories be?"

"Something about a certain name you called my daughter in school when you were younger," he chuckled.

Rory started laughing, putting her hand on Tristan's arm she said, "Don't worry about that Bible Boy."

The three of them started laughing.

"Well I will leave you two alone to catch up and I will go and check on your grandmother. Oh and Rory, Emily is here. I will keep an eye on you and I will be with you when and if she approaches you."

"Thanks, dad." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"So that is your father. I didn't realize you were a Hayden. So where did you go? I saw you dancing with that older man. I assumed you knew him. When the song was finished you were nowhere around."

"That was Mitchum Huntzberger. I was able to push him away and then I ran into the bathroom."

"Mare, how do you know the Huntzbergers?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Tris, Paris always said I had a thing for Blond Trust Fund Boys, you being the first and Logan the second."

"Well Mare, I am flattered," he laughed, "but seriously how did you get involved with that family."

"Marty and I met Logan, Finn, and Colin at Yale in front of a coffee cart our sophomore year. I didn't realize that Marty liked me at the time, I thought we were friends. You know how awkward I was reading boys attractions towards me."

"Yes I do," he admitted to her.

"Logan and I were on the Yale Daily News together , we were attracted to each other. He was not used to having a girl turn him down and when I met him I was dating Dean again. I broke up with Dean and he invited me to meet his parents. They didn't like me. They told me that I wasn't good enough for their son. But that didn't stop Logan. We continued to date for a year and a half. He left the day after his graduation and went to London to work for his Dad. Then he quit and came back, he lost a lot of money. Long story short he took a job in California, and bought a house for us, he never talked to me asking me what I wanted, what my plans were. Then at my graduation, he asked me to marry him, I told him I wasn't ready to get married. Logan didn't listen to me. When I turned down his proposal he told me marry me now Rory, or never. I didn't want to break up with him, I just needed time, time to grow up and start my own career. He left, I went and worked for the Obama campaign and that brings us to where we are now. I hadn't seen Marty or Logan for 9 years. My fiancé was killed and they both appeared back into my life again, just like you."

Looking at him she asked, "Do you believe in fate, kismet? Lately, I feel that all the stars are aligning themselves. It wouldn't surprise me if Dean suddenly walked in right now."

Tristan chuckled, "Oh you mean Bag Boy? Whatever happened to him?"

She looked at him and said, "That's another story for another time."

Looking into her blue eyes he asked, "Care to walk around the room and check out the silent auctions?"

"Sure, I would love to stretch my legs and maybe we can swing by the ladies' room. My little guy likes to bounce on my bladder," she leaned over and whispered to him.

Laughing he took her hand and linked their arms together and walked out of the main room to where the bathrooms were.

He stood against the wall waiting for her and thought about the times he did this when he was in school. He would watch her duck in there trying to avoid him and he would wait outside so when she walked out he would be able to walk up behind her, or beside her. She was still as alluring now to him as she was when they were both 16.

Walking out of the bathroom she smiled seeing him standing against the wall.

Walking over to him she took his hands in hers and said, "I used to get so annoyed at you when you would wait outside of the bathroom watching for me. But to be honest, when you left, I missed you Tristan."

He smiled at her and then kissed her on the forehead, "I missed you too. Let's go look at what they are auctioning off."

The two of them walked back into the main room and walked around to the tables that were set up around the perimeter of the room. They were standing at one table looking at a photograph and discussing it when her Grandmother Emily approached them.

"Rory, dear it is nice to see you," she said with a smile on her face.

"Oh, hello grandma," Rory replied then picked up a pen and leaning over the table she wrote down her bid on the paper.

"Rory, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Emily said.

Right behind her was both Louise and Madeline. Before Rory could say anything, Tristan turned around and put his hand out.

"Hello, Mrs. Gilmore, I'm Tristan Dugrey, Jalan Dugrey's grandson."

"Why of course, I knew you grandfather very well. He and my Richard played golf together. I didn't realize you and my granddaughter were friends," Emily said flirting with him.

"Yes, we went to school together. I came to her birthday party that you hosted at your home and in fact, she was my Juliet in school our junior year," he said to her with a smirk on his face.

"Grandma would you excuse us please," She quickly dragged Tristan away from her grandmother and Madalyn and Louise.

"Tristan, you implied to my grandmother that were more than friends, and besides you left before our performance of Romeo and Juliet. You know, I had to kiss Paris!" she fumed.

"Rory, it's ok, I could tell you didn't want to talk to her and we made an exit. She has met Marty, hasn't she?"

"Well yes, but that's not the point."

"So you kissed Paris, how was it? Too bad I had to miss it," he teased.

"Tristan!" she slapped him in the arm and the two of them started laughing.

"Ror, when Marty comes back I really need to sit down and talk to the two of you about this case. There is some information that I think you will be able to help me with. I know it is hard for you, Marty told me about everything. Listen he told me that you were both coming tonight. I was concerned that the Huntzbergers would show up and they did. Unfortunately, I didn't know what Mr. Huntzberger looked like, but I do now. "

Rory hugged Tristan, "Thanks, Tris, and yes we can meet. I will try to help you as best as I can. I think I need to find my father to go home now. I am tired."

Putting his arm around her shoulder they walked back into the room. He walked them over to the table. Shira and Mitchum were still sitting there with her father and her grandmother.

When Shira saw Rory she immediately stood up and walked over and gave her a big hug, "Rory, it has been such a long time. You look absolutely radiant. Doesn't she look radiant, Mitchum? I never could understand how Logan let you get away."

Mitchum stood up and introduced himself to Tristan.

"So you are Rory's fiancé, I am Mitchum Huntzberger, and you are?"

"Tristan Dugrey," Tristan said.

Christopher was biting his bottom lip trying not to smile.

"Ror, are you and Tristan ready to leave?" he asked her.

Rory looked at Tristan and he winked.

"Yes, we are. Are you and Grandma ready to go too?"

"Yes my dear, we are, I have had enough for tonight. Mitchum, Shira it was nice talking with you again," nodding her head like she was the queen she rose from her chair and dismissed them.

"Come along Christopher," and she led the three of them out of the room.

Tristan walked Rory to Christopher's car and said good night to Mrs. Hayden and Christopher. Before Rory got in she looked at Tristan and smiled.

"Tristan thank you and call me when you want to meet. I will be returning to the city tomorrow."

Squeezing her hand he said, "Good night Rory, and you will be hearing from me."

She got into the car and Christopher drove her back to his home. Rory took out her phone and texted Marty.

 _M - Really missed you tonight. Tristan was at the event and he watched over me. Will tell you about it when I see you. I hope your dad is doing well. Send your mom, dad, and Gabby my love. I love you. R_

 _R- Princess, I miss you too. Dad is doing well. He will be out of the ICU tomorrow morning. I will be arriving back tomorrow night. I will meet you at our place._

 _I love you too. M_

Rory closed her phone and decided that when Marty comes back they will sit down with her father, Luke and grandmother Hayden and set a wedding date.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

She had returned upstairs after breakfast to pack her clothes, she was going to call the car service to pick her up around two o'clock when she heard the doorbell ring. She knew it wasn't the car service, so she quickly checked her reflection in the mirror and walked down the staircase. There standing in the foyer was her Grandmother Gilmore. Her father looked up as she came downstairs.

Emily said, "Hello, Rory, Christopher."

Christopher gave her a brief hug and said, "Emily come in, my mother is in the breakfast nook. Rory, would you like some tea, Grandma Francine just made some."

He smiled meekly at her and led the way into the sunny kitchen and breakfast nook. Though the Hayden's were wealthier than the Gilmores, they never felt the need to display their wealth the way Emily did. They lived in a large four-bedroom Colonial home in a historical neighborhood in Hartford, Francine had the same maids since she was married. She preferred to spend her time in the kitchen and loved her sunny breakfast nook. Alongside her cook, she would make bread, muffins and try new dinners. Once her husband died, she preferred to spend time with her staff than be alone. Now with Christopher, Gigi and Rory in her life she felt complete.

"Hello, Francine, thank you for inviting me over this morning."

"You're welcome, Emily. I think it's time to put aside all our differences, along with your feelings towards Rory. Rory dear, come sit beside me."

Rory walked around the table and sat beside her Grandmother Francine. Christopher brought out the coffee pot and the teapot along with his mother's best china cups.

Kissing his daughter on the cheek he whispered, "I will be in the other room. Leave if you need me."

She nodded her head and poured the tea for herself and her grandmother and then poured the coffee for her grandmother Emily. She did this on purpose, knowing that it would upset her.

Emily looked at Rory and raised her eyebrow at her. She knew she brought her up better than that but bit her tongue before she said anything.

For years, Francine sat silently through her marriage to Straub. She never voiced her concerns about his feelings of failure on his son. She never told her husband how wrong he was ignoring Rory, and how she missed watching that child grow up. When he died, and Rory came over to her home to see her father, and to the funeral, she realized that this remarkable young girl was someone who she wanted to know. Emily and Richard at least were able to help her. She loved her son dearly and she was fond of Lorelai. She never understood Lorelai's reasoning for not marrying her son, but she admired her tenacity to raise her daughter alone without the help of her parents and to succeed at running her own business. When their marriage of 2 months failed, she asked Christopher what happened. He told her that he waited too long, and she fell in love with someone else. When she died, it broke her son's heart and he ran away again to Europe. But when Rory needed him when her fiancé died, Francine convinced him to come home and be the father that Rory needed. Now it was Christopher who convinced her to help mend the bridges between Emily, herself and Rory.

The three women sat there silently drinking their tea and coffee. Finally, Francine cleared her throat and looked at their beautiful granddaughter and spoke.

"Emily, I know how you miss Lorelai and Richard. Rory however, has not only lost her grandfather who she adored, her mother who was her best friend, but now her fiancé, Ace Gerrard. It is time for you to put aside your feelings and support her."

Rory grabbed her grandmother's hand and spoke up, "Grandma Francine, it is really alright. I have come to terms with her feelings. I no longer want to owe her anything. I have the love of you, dad, Gigi, and a wonderful man. Our child, mine, and Ace, will grow up with family and friends."

Emily looked at Rory and Francine and felt pangs of jealousy. She should be holding her granddaughter's hand and giving her advice.

Then she remembered Luke's advice, _"Emily you need to be there for Rory. Lorelai would not want you to be angry. She would want you to help her. She needs you now."_

With tears in her eyes, she looked at her granddaughter and reaching across the table she took Rory's hand, "I am so sorry, Rory. I was becoming a bitter old lady, I lost Richard and you were there for me, and then I lost Lorelai and all I could think of was I wasn't there for her. I moved away to Nantucket. You had that man in your life and you were happy, but I see now he not only made you happy he protected you. He protected you from me."

Rory got up from her seat and went and hugged her Grandmother.

"Grandma that is ok, I accept your apology. But please understand, I am a grown woman now. I have a son that is coming soon, and I will do everything to protect him. He will not need anything, his father made sure of it. However, life has a way of working out, someone has returned to my life who loves me now as he loved me when we were young, and he wants us in his life. I want you in our life too, Grandma and that is why I gave you that picture of Little Ace."

Emily wiped the tears from her eyes, "Thank you Rory, Francine. Rory, I have the babies picture by my bed. I look at it every night."

"Grandma, I have a new one for you."

Rory went upstairs to the guest room where her tote bag was. She always carried a picture of the baby with her and since she had extras at home, she brought it down and handed it to Emily.

"Grandmother, this is the most recent, he is 22 weeks here. I am starting week 24."

Just then Christopher walked into the kitchen and smiled. He stood beside his daughter and put his arm protectively around her.

"Everything alright, Ladies? Can I get anyone anything else?"

"No, no thank you, Christopher. Rory, I need to leave now, but please come and visit me. I am moving back to my home for the winter. It gets too cold in Nantucket in November through March."

"We will Grandma, I promise." She hugged her grandmother and walked her to the front door. When she left she turned and hugged and kissed her father and grandmother Francine.

"Thank you for that, now if I can figure out what the Huntzbergers want from me, I will be able to relax."

"Rory, at the table all Mitchum did was sing your praises. How he knew that you would be successful and how he gave you your break as an intern at his paper," her father told her.

"That's a laugh, he told me that I didn't have what it takes to be a journalist. That's when I quit school and stole the Yacht with his son. I was so messed up. Then before I graduated he told me that he and I were on the same page with Logan. That's when I knew that if I married Logan I would always be in the shadows of the Huntzberger name. I would never know if I could do it on my own."

"Well, Shira told me how she would have loved it if you would have been her daughter in law. How beautiful, smart and talented you are. I never said anything. I always knew she was phony," Francine said.

"Grandmother, both his mother and his grandfather thought that I wasn't fit to be a Huntzberger."

"Oh, he was a nasty old man. I never could understand why Emily was always encouraging you to date Logan," Francine continued.

"Mom. Logan isn't that bad. I liked him, thought his marriage proposal was grand, but I can't say anything because I messed it up with Lorelai," Christopher mumbled.

"Well I don't know what I am going to do," Rory said, "Someone suggested that he is interested in me because of my money now. Do you think that is possible?"

"Well anything is possible, Rory. I know once I inherited the money from my grandfather, people suddenly became my friends," Christopher told her.

"Ace was investigating the Huntzbergers and HPG, I am trying to find out why."

"Ror, do you think this is good for you and your baby?" Christopher asked her with concern in his voice.

"Dad, Ace left journals and SD cards with information on it. The FBI has assigned Tristan Dugrey to the case and Marty is helping him."

"So that is why you mentioned investigation. Look, honey, if you need my help, let me know. I have an investigator who can also check things out for you."

"Ok, I will tell Colin and Marty. Well, I guess better call my car service and head back."

She walked over to her grandmother and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"I love you grandma and thank you for everything," Rory told her.

Francine hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. "Now you call me and come over whenever you can. You and Marty are always welcome here."

"Thank you, Grandma, and remember he has his own townhouse here. We are thinking of moving here once the baby is born. We are looking also into a larger apartment in the city."

Her grandmother and father smiled when they heard that news. Her father walked upstairs to the guest room that Rory had stayed in. He picked up her overnight bag and her garment bag.

"Ror, I really like Marty, let me know what you two decide. Make sure that you are marrying him for the right reason."

Christopher kissed Rory's forehead and walked out of the bedroom carrying her bags downstairs. Before she followed him, she knocked on her sister's bedroom door. Gigi was sitting on her bed with the music going as she played a game on her computer.

"Gigi, I am going," she yelled into the room. Gigi looked up and then jumped off her bed.

"Rory are you on Facebook or Twitter? Friend me okay?"

Rory laughed and hugged her little sister.

"Ok, I will face time you more often, I promise." She hugged her sister again and then walked downstairs. The car was there. She hugged and kissed her father and grandmother goodbye.

"I'll be in the city at the end of the week, if you and Marty are available, we could meet for dinner," Christopher told her.

"Thanks, dad, and I will tell Marty. I love you," she told him.

"I love you too kiddo," he said as he shut the door for her. The car pulled out of the driveway and he turned and went back into the house. He just hoped that Rory knew what she was doing for herself and the baby.

When Rory had returned from Hartford she put on Marty's Harvard t-shirt and her yoga pants. Her baby bump was more noticeable now that she was in her 24th week. She was sitting on the couch with her laptop going over the work emails that she had ignored on Saturday. She heard the door open, and she jumped almost dropping her computer on the floor. She put it on the couch and ran to the door. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he dropped his suitcase by the door.

Kissing him deeply, he responded and pulled her into him. Kissing her neck and ear, he whispered, "Princess, I have missed you so much."

She moaned as he continued to kiss her lips. When they pulled apart, he looked at her.

"I love the way you are filling out my shirt."

He put his hands on her bump and immediately felt a kick. They both laughed.

"I guess someone else missed you too," Rory teased.

Marty picked up his bag and put his hand on her shoulder and they walked into the bedroom.

"How is your dad doing?" she asked.

"He is doing well. My brother, Mitch, and Cassie, arrived today and they will stay with Mom until my dad comes home. Gabby will come home on Wednesday. The operation was a success. It was only a two-way bypass, he has a small incision."

"That is great news," she told him as she gave him another kiss.

"Are you hungry? Tired?" she asked him.

Sitting on the end of the bed he pulled her on his lap. He moved her hair away from her neck, so he could kiss her there.

"I am just glad to be back home, with you and our little one," he told her putting his hands on top of her her belly.

"Well how about we take a shower and wash off that airplane smell from you," she whispered in his ear.

"I can't say no to that, now can I?" he whispered back. They kissed each other again, and they walked hand in hand into the bathroom.

After a long shower, she put on the top of his pajamas and he put on the bottoms and they climbed into bed. He pulled her on his chest and played with her hair.

"Oh Marty, I missed this," she said as she kissed his chest.

"Me too, now tell me about the event. Was everything ok?"

She told him about Mitchum and Shira, how he danced with her and she pushed him away. How Tristan was there and made sure that she was ok.

"That was nice of him, but why was he there?" Marty asked her.

"Well Tristan's family is from Hartford and he also attended Chilton. He said you mentioned that we were both going. He thought that Mitchum Huntzberger would be there and he was. Tristan wants to talk to both of us when you get back."

She also told Marty about Emily coming over and apologizing.

"Now there is something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh, you do, do you?" he teased her.

"Yes, and I am serious. I want to set a wedding date. I decided that I want to be Mrs. Martin Knight and I want to talk to Ace's parents about it."

Marty kissed her, "I have dreamed of this moment, Rory. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes, it is. My life must go on and I want it to go on with you."

Kissing her he pulled her on top of him. She slowly began to kiss his neck, his chest and continued down, moving his pants off him. She looked up into his dark eyes and grinned as her tongue caressed him.

"I guess you missed me, "he said to her huskily.

He pulled her up on him. He sat up leaning against the headboard and holding her back against his chest he entered her. He felt how tight she was, and he pushed into her. She gasped, and she climaxed immediately. He felt her tense around him and they both picked up their rhythm. With his hands on her hips, he continued to move her up and down and kissed her neck and ear. She turned her head back and kissed his lips. They both climaxed again together. He laid back on the pillows and she slowly moved off him.

"Are you ok?" he asked her as he played with her long hair.

Kissing his lips, she sighed, "Yes, perfect."

"I love you, the future Mrs. Martin Knight."

"I love you more."

The two of them fell asleep. Rory slept the best she had in a long time. She was finally at peace with the decision she was making.

Rory and Marty stopped at the doctor's first before they both went to their respective jobs. Rory went to the lab where they took her blood, a urine sample, and her blood pressure. Everything was still in the safe range and the nurse practitioner covering for Gabby was pleased. They left, and the car pulled up in front of Studio 57. Marty got out and walked her into the lobby and kissed her goodbye in front of the elevator. He left, and she waited for a short time for the elevator to return to the lobby. She got on and went up to her floor. As she was walking to her office, she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw it was Joanie.

"Hi Joanie, how is it going? Are you having any difficulty?" she asked her.

"No, I saw you coming in and wondered how your weekend went. Are you ok?"

"Yes, my blood pressure is still at the normal rate and I feel great."

Rory walked towards her office surprised to see both Liam and Logan waiting in there for her.

"Umm, I was just going to tell you that Mr. Huntzberger and Mr. Cooper were here."

"That's ok. Could you give us a few minutes, and could you bring me a tea and some coffee too please," she smiled at Joanie and walked in.

Walking over she hugged and kissed Logan on the cheek and did the same to Liam.

"Hi, I wasn't expecting to see you two this morning, is everything ok?" she asked them with concern in her voice.

"Well Ace, I was surprised you weren't in your office when we got here, are you ok?" Logan asked with concern in his voice.

"Yes, I need to have my blood drawn each week," Rory told him trying to make it sound like it was normal. "Sit down, both of you and tell me why you are here."

"We have found out more information about Ace and we need to share it with you," Liam said looking at her.

"Okay," she said.

Joanie knocked on the door and brought in coffee and tea for everyone.

"Did both of you meet our new assistant? Logan, I don't know if you remember Joanie from the Yale Daily News when I was an editor. This is Joanie she joined our team, and she is my assistant along with Colleen. Joanie, this is Logan Huntzberger and Liam Cooper,"

Both men stood and shook her hand and she noticed that Logan gave her one of his trademark smiles. Joanie walked out, and they sat down.

"Ror, you know I was engaged to Odette Fontaine and broke it off in 2014, April in fact. I found her in bed with another man, who happened to be her tennis coach. Apparently, she found a few men to keep her company while we were engaged," Logan explained to her.

"Was Ace involved with Odette?" she looked at them with surprise.

"Yes, apparently they broke up in either December of 2013 or January 2014. I am not sure if she was screwing both men at the same time but that explains why she never slept with me," Logan continued.

Rory stood up and walked to the window and looked out. She met Ace in May of that year so at least he hadn't cheated on her, or did he? She knew that Finn and Jess were close to him, maybe they know more. Would they keep things from her too?

She turned and looked at them both, "Ok, so he had an affair with your ex, so what does that have to do with me? Did you find this out in the journals?"

"The journals are still being translated, but this information came from the investigation we started," Liam explained.

Rory walked back to her desk, "I am confused, Logan what does this have to do with HPG, your father and your father's interest in me? Also, why was Ace investigating HPG?"

Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand he looked at Rory

I think HPG is in trouble. When I broke off my wedding with Odette, my father was furious. I later found out that he had signed a contract with the Fontane family. However, when the father and brother were arrested, my father no longer talked about them to me. I think my father thought that the contract was now void, never thinking that Interpol would freeze all the HPG assets. He never had the board's approval."

"Logan, this past weekend, I saw both your parents. Your father cut in while I was dancing with someone and then your mother hugged me and told me how sorry she was that you and I weren't together. Logan, something is going on. These are the same two people that told me that I wasn't good enough to be a Huntzberger. They were sitting with my father and grandmother Hayden, so they know I am a Hayden. I am still the same person, I have been a Hayden all my life. Why now?"

Rory got up and was walking around the room while she was ranting. Logan got up and walked over to her and went to touch her. She backed up and held her hands up.

"No Logan, don't, don't. I am ok, I'm ok." suddenly she felt dizzy and grabbed the corner of her desk.

Liam jumped up and went to her immediately. He guided her to a chair and told her to put her head between her legs.

"Rory, did you eat this morning?" he asked her. He immediately went to her desk and found a power bar and gave it to her.

"Do I need to call Marty?" he asked her.

She shook her head and took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. Logan went into the bathroom and grabbed paper towels. Wetting them he placed them on the back of her neck. She slowly felt better and sat up.

"Sorry, I am not sure what came over me. My blood pressure was in the normal range this morning."

"Rory, we are sorry we shouldn't have told you. We hoped that you could help us," Liam apologized.

"Logan, Liam I want to help you, but Ace and I never spoke about our past relationships. I never told him that I knew you, Logan, it was too painful," she whispered.

Logan sat beside her and took her hand, "Ace what do you mean?"

She looked at Liam wondering if she should admit to Logan what she told Liam. She had only admitted how upset she was when she found out about Logan's engagement to Finn and Liam. Liam looking at her nodded letting her know that she should let Logan know how she felt.

"Logan, I was new at CBS, when I saw your engagement announcement in the news, and the newspaper. My grandfather had recently died of a massive heart attack the week before. The day we buried my grandfather was the day I was assigned to cover your story. I couldn't, I had to take time off work."

As she was telling Logan she started crying, "I wanted to call you and talk to you, but I couldn't. I hadn't heard from you for so long and I wasn't sure how to reach you. My mother and grandmother were beside themselves. Jess understood what I was going through with my grandfather dying. The terrible nightmares began, and Jess moved in to take care of me. Finn would come and hold me when Jess had to go on his book tours. It was during this time that Finn realized that I was still in love with you. If it wasn't for Jess and Finn I don't know where I would be. Those two men stayed with me, they made me realize who I am and how I can go on with my life. They helped me move on. Soon after that, with their encouragement, I returned back to work and I went to the Correspondence Dinner and met Ace."

Rory stood up and walked over to the window, tears still running down her cheek.

"Ace wasn't you, but then in a way, he was. Before meeting Ace, I had always hoped we would meet again and things would be the same. But Ace came into my life and swept me off my feet. Ace introduced himself to me. This charming, confident European journalist who would not take no for an answer. He would argue with me and we would stay up late debating about politics and literature. When he told me, he loved me and asked me to marry him, I knew I had to say yes. This time I wasn't letting love escape me again. I refused to repeat my mother's past mistakes."

While Logan was listening to her, tears filled his eyes. He walked over to where she was standing in front of the window and placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned, and he picked up her hand and kissed it.

"Rory, I am so sorry. When I walked away from you, I didn't realize what I did to you. I didn't know the pain and heartache it would cause the two of us."

She put her hand on his face and said, "Logan what we had, we can't go back. I must go on. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"I will help you and I hope you can help me find out what Ace was keeping from me," she whispered.

"Well, we have found proof that someone was blackmailing Ace, we are not sure who it was, but we are sure it involves the Fontane family," Liam told her.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

The two men sat with her for thirty minutes before they hugged her and left. She sat down and pulled out a yogurt from her mini fridge. She sat there eating it and thought about their conversation. Someone was blackmailing Ace and she wondered who. Rory thought back to their first year together. Her mother was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer and the prognosis was not good. She spent most of her time at the hospital with her. Ace never left her side, he stayed with her and Luke making sure that they had everything that they needed.

She needed to talk to Finn. Finn would be honest with her. They shared something special a bond like her relationship with Jess. She picked up her phone and dialed Finn's private cell number. She hadn't used it for a while, but she knew it by heart. Thinking back, she remembered the summers of 2012 and 2013. It was a special time for her.

 _Finn and Rory ran into each other in April of 2012, at one of his hotels in Vegas._

 _She was working as an independent journalist and would travel the country for different stories. They began to call one another frequently on the phone and soon they were face timing. Whenever they were in the same area, they spent time together meeting at one of his hotels. They grew close and soon their friendship grew into something more. When her grandfather died she fell into a deep depression. It was during that time he took her to his Boat House in Oyster Bay. It was here that they grew closer. They kept all these rendezvous secret from Colin, Steph, her mother, Paris, even Jess. She loved him but they both knew that it could go no further._

Finn's phone rang, but he never heard it. He had left this phone locked in his glove compartment of his car. He was in his office and missed her call. She sent him a message on his computer asking him to call or stop over sometime. She wanted to talk to him. Rory went to put her phone down and pulled out her wallet. Tristan's card fell out. She decided to call him.

Tristan's phone went to voicemail, so she left him a message, " _Tristan, this is Rory Gilmore, aka Mary. Marty is back, and I think we should sit down and talk. I learned something today that might help you with your investigation. Call me. "_

She turned on her computer and went through today's schedule checking to see what was going on. The presidential election was heating up, but she knew that Brie had Joanie and Colleen working on that. She sent a message to Brie to have someone cover the women's vote and how they were turning away from the Republican nominee. She also had to have someone cover and do fact checks on the ISIS report coming in from Iraq. She immersed herself in work to forget about what she revealed to Logan this morning. Dan came in often to check on her. He watched Liam and Logan and kept checking to see if she was ok but never went in. When they arrived that morning, Logan explained to him that they would break the news to her about Ace and Odette. Dan not trusting Logan, worried that he might not be honest with her.

Dan waited until three o'clock before he walked into her office. He knew she wouldn't be suspicious since they always met at this time to sit and discuss the news program. They would sit and discuss what changes needed to be made, making sure that it was all timed correctly. He also liked to make sure the information coming on the prompter was correct and up to date. Rory said nothing to him about the two men who came in to see her. She had spent the day working in her office, getting up occasionally but spent most of the time at her computer.

"Hey Lois, you have kept yourself in here all morning, are you ok?"

"Yes, I have just been busy playing catch up. You know how I like to be thorough," she told him.

"Ok, I don't want you to overdo. I was worried when I saw Logan run out looking for paper towels. Do you want to explain to me what happened?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Oh, it was nothing, I felt a little faint. Once they gave me a protein bar, I was ok."

"Rory, I know what they came to talk to you about. I am a good listener; do you want to talk about it?"

She looked at Dan with sadness in her eyes. "I don't know Dan. I guess I need to call Steph and Jess and read their translations."

"Ok, well I have to get ready and Brie will be at the booth tonight. I will see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, I will see you tomorrow." She stood up and gave him a hug.

She called Marty and left a message with Rita to tell him that she was on her way home. She got her things and called the car service. They told her that they would be there in ten minutes, so she had time to make another phone call. She called Ace's mother and told her that she and Marty would come and visit them this weekend. She then left her office. She picked up her laptop and then returned to her desk. She pulled out the middle drawer of her desk and pulled out a box, her Ace Box. She filled it the week after his death. She knew that she needed to go back through it now and wallow.

After meeting with Rory, Logan and Liam returned to their office. They were meeting with Doyle to go over some applications to fill out the staff that they needed for their new network. They shared Logan's car service, so they were traveling together.

Logan was quiet in the car. Looking at him Liam asked, "Logan are you ok?"

"Yes, I guess I never realized how much I hurt her. I never thought about her feelings, all I thought about was myself."

"Listen, Logan, you both were young and hurting. You can't go back like she said. Finn and Jess helped her move forward and that is what you need to do. We need to find out what is going on with HPG. Do you have any suggestions on how we can find out if they are in financial trouble?"

"I think I do. I am on the board, so I can go through the financial records. I can begin when we get back. I should be able to get most of the information we need online, I have the password unless someone changed it. I also need to contact my uncle and see what he knows."

"Ok, while you do that I will work with Doyle and line up interviews. Logan, listen I want you to know I am here if you want to talk."

"Thanks, Liam, I appreciate that. Well, I do have some good news, I found a place to live. I am putting a purchase offer on it today."

"That's great news. Let me know if you need help when you move in."

"Yes, I will, the best part about this place is that it came furnished. I might have to change a few things, like the mattress on the bed, but it was recently refinished and tastefully decorated."

Sitting in the town car on her way back to her apartment, Rory's phone rings, not checking the number she thinks it might be Finn or Tristan.

"Hi Thanks for calling back," she said to the person on the phone.

"Hi, I didn't know you called," Steph responded.

"Steph, sorry I thought you were one of the other people I had called earlier."

"Rory, you don't call me anymore. I have been replaced by Marty. I am no longer special," she teased.

"Oh, Steph you are always special. How was your last doctor's appointment?" laughing, Rory asked her.

"Things are going great. The little leech is growing, and he is so cute, but he loves to eat. Are you going to sign up for the yoga classes at the Soho Sanctuary?"

"Yes, I did, I missed the first one and I will miss the next one unless they have a different day than Saturday."

"I think they have a Wednesday evening class. We could go to that together," Steph suggested.

"That would be great. So, are you back in the city?"

"Yes, and the reason I am calling is that we have a purchase offer on Ace's apartment. I was wondering if you are available to go over it."

"I am just on my way to Marty's apartment now. Why don't you meet me?"

"Ok, I will be there in about ten minutes."

"Perfect, see you soon. Bye."

Rory exited the car and walked into the lobby. She stopped at the front desk to check for their mail, then took the elevator to Marty's apartment. She placed the box that she brought from the office, labeled Ace on the counter and went into her bedroom. She plugged her laptop in and changed into her maternity jeans and white linen top. She walked back into the Kitchen and pulled out a cheese platter that she had bought so that she had healthy snacks when she came home before supper. She also pulled out some vegetables that Marty kept cut up to snack on. She pulled out her favorite dipping sauce. She poured herself a glass of apple cider and sat down at the table after plugging in her phone. She sent Marty a text to let him know that she was home and waited for Steph. She was sorting through their mail when Steph arrived.

"Hey Steph, you are looking great," Rory said as she gave her a hug.

The girls both giggle because their baby bumps were making it a little awkward to hug each other now.

"I was sorry to see that you didn't go to the Annual Fundraiser event in Hartford last weekend," Rory told her.

"Yes, we had planned on going but at the last-minute Colin decided that he wanted to take me to Bermuda, so we hopped on the plane and spent the weekend there. He worked some, but I got to relax at the villa there."

"Oh, such a tough life that the McCrae's have. Well, while you were away, I was harassed by the Huntzbergers. But the good thing that happened was now Emily and I are talking again."

"What do you mean that the Huntzbergers harassed you?"

"I was dancing with someone and Mitchum Huntzberger cut in. He was trying to convince me that Logan and I need to get back together. I pulled myself away and ran to the bathroom where I texted my dad to meet me. When we returned to the main room the Huntzbergers were sitting at the table with my grandmother Hayden."

"So Mitchum figured out that you are a Hayden, now I know why he wants you and Logan back together. Now, what's this about you and Emily."

"My grandmother Francine and father invited Emily over on Sunday and we talked. She apologized, things are no longer as tense between us."

Steph accepted the glass of cider that Rory offered her and sat down at the table. She pulled out the paperwork from her tote.

"I have some good news, I have a serious offer on the apartment. The buyer put in an offer of $3,900,000. I think you should take it. They put a hefty down payment and it could go into escrow by the end of the week. All we need to do is go back and clean out that one closet."

"This includes the furniture, too?" Rory asked her as Steph handed her the paperwork.

"Yes, they added $50,000 above what you were asking."

"Ok, I will accept it, one less thing to worry about."

She took the pen that Steph handed her and signed where she indicated. In some ways, this felt good. She no longer had to worry about the apartment, but in other ways, she felt sad. It was another permanent reminder of her life with Ace was over. She looked over at the counter as she handed back the papers to Steph.

"Well I feel like wallowing, are you in the mood for some Rocky Road, or Mocha Chocolate chunk ice cream?" she asked Steph as she walked into the kitchen and opened the freezer door.

"You don't have to ask me," Steph giggled, "I need to use the powder room first."

As Steph walked back over to the table, Rory asked her, "Steph do you happen to know of any three-bedroom apartments that will be available soon? Marty and I want to move into a bigger place."

"Yes, I have a few, rent or buy?" she asked.

"Well he wants to buy but we could rent for a while I guess. We need space for the baby and I want to be near a park, and not too far for me to get to work."

The girls ate their ice cream as Steph pulled out her laptop she brought with her. She pulled up a few listings that she had available.

"There is two available in this building if you like living here," Steph told her.

"I think Marty would prefer to stay in this building. I like it here but where else, I want to start new with the two of us and I want to be close to you," she told her.

"Well, I have a few that you might be interested in. One is on 42nd St, that is the Orion. It has three-bedroom units. The building has a full gym, babysitting service and a pool, then there is the Sheffield on West 57th Street, and The Atelier West 42nd Street."

"They sound wonderful, could you make appointments for us to see them? I will show them to Marty tonight."

"Listen, Rory, I need to get going. I am meeting Colin for dinner. He has an important client that he is meeting with and wants me there for support. I will call the Soho Sanctuary and sign us both up for the Wednesday yoga class. I will also fax the information back to you with a closing date, and then maybe the four of us can go back to Ace's apartment and clean out that last closet before the new owner takes over."

"That sounds wonderful. Love you girl," Rory said to her as they hugged goodbye.

Rory looked at the clock and it was almost five. She pulled out some chicken breast and put them on the counter. She would put breadcrumbs on them and bake them in the oven and maybe have some rice with it tonight. She looked at her phone and wondered why she hadn't heard from either Tristan or Finn. She picked up her phone and sent them both another a message to call her tonight. She turned on the music and started to make dinner.

As she set the table, she noticed the box of Ace's items were on the counter. She picked it up and put it in the closet with her clothes. She will go through it later, maybe she will look at it with Marty or maybe she will go through it by herself. She needs to bring closure to this part of her life and now with the sale of his apartment she can begin to move forward. She also needs to go through her finances with Marty. She wonders if it would be better to do it in the office with Colin present. She puts the chicken in the oven and puts the rice in the rice pot to cook. She pours herself another glass of cider and is ready to sit and watch another episode of the Outlander when her phone rings. She picks it up and notices that Finn is calling back.

"Hey, Love, I noticed you called me on my private phone, is everything ok?"

"Yes and no, Finn I need to sit down and talk and wallow with you. Logan and Liam stopped by this morning at the Studio and revealed some information to me about Ace."

"Do you want me to come over now?"

"No, Marty will be home soon. I will tell Marty what they told me, but I want to talk to you and go through my "Ace" box. You understand my need to wallow. I never wallowed after he died."

"I know Love, and I have been concerned about that. Ok, I will pick you up tomorrow for lunch and you will have a business meeting with me. I am opening a new hotel, so we can use that as our cover, and you and I will wallow at my boathouse."

"But what about Rosemary, won't she get jealous?"

"No, we have two apartments and she doesn't know about my boathouse. That's my space for the "poker nights" or emergencies."

"Oh, so you and Rosemary, I thought you two were committed."

"Love, you know me."

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry Finn,"

"No need to be sorry, I still have you as my best friend. I will come to the studio at one. Mark it on your calendar as a meeting with Morgan LLC. Goodbye love."

"Bye Finn, and thanks."

Marty walked into the apartment at six o'clock. Rory is sitting watching the television and doesn't hear him enter. She jumps when she feels his arm on her shoulder. She quickly mutes the tv and smiles up at him and pulls him down next to her. She leans into him and kisses him tenderly.

"What smells so good?" he asks her as he kisses her again.

"Dinner, it almost finished. I have chicken breast baking in the oven and I made rice. I have broccoli steamed, and I also made a salad."

"Well, who knew that Rory Gilmore could cook? I think I better call Jess over, so he can witness this. He always said that you would starve before you cooked it yourself."

She laughed, "Well maybe you should take a picture of me serving you dinner."

"Not a bad idea, he laughed then pulled her into his lap and kissed her again.

"How was your day?" he asked her.

"Interesting, after you left me, Logan and Liam were waiting for me in my office. They found out that Ace had a relationship with Odette, the woman that Logan was engaged to."

Marty took her hand in his and kissed it. "Are you ok, with that?"

"Well I still don't know what he was investigating, but they said they found proof that he was being blackmailed. But on a good note, Steph has a buyer for his apartment."

"That's great news," he told her.

"It is, I signed the papers, and I asked her to look for apartments for us. There are two apartments in this building that are available, and she found 3 more for us to look at, and they have pools. One has a babysitting service available too."

"That is great news, we will have to check them out." He pulled her in for another long kiss.

"Ok, I will change, and I think the buzzer is sounding in the kitchen, Rory."

"Yep, I will put everything on the table. What do you want to drink? Water, Cider, tea?"

"Water is fine, mm babe. I love you," he told her as he kissed her again.

Rory put the food on the serving dishes and had it ready when he came out. They relaxed and ate dinner. Together they cleaned up the dinner dishes. Sitting on the couch they took out Marty's laptop and pulled up the apartments that Steph sent to Rory. They looked them over and emailed Steph to make appointments with the ones they agreed on. Watching television, she had her head on his shoulder and he put his head on top of hers as they held hands.

"I called Ace's mother, I told her that we are coming down this weekend. If you can't I will go myself. They want to get to know you better."

"No we can go, we will take the train down Friday. I will make reservations for us," he told her.

"Thank you," she kissed him, "Let's go to bed." Smiling he picked her up in his arms and carried her to bed.

When Finn got off the phone, he called Jess.

"Dodger Books and Records," a young female voice answered the phone.

"Yes, is Mr. Mariano there, tell him that his friend Finn is on the phone."

A few minutes later, Jess picks up the phone.

"Finn, how are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while. Is everything ok with Rory?"

"Funny you should ask about her, she called me today. Seems like Liam and Logan have uncovered the information about Ace's involvement with Odette while she was engaged to Logan. She wants to meet tomorrow and wallow."

"Oh, so how much do you think she knows?"

"I don't know but she mentioned that Logan and Liam found out that Ace was being blackmailed."

"So what time are you going to meet her?"

"I told her to put it on her calendar that she is having a business meeting with Morgan LLC and I plan on spending the afternoon with her. Mate, I might need some backup. We are meeting at my boathouse. I am picking her up at 1," Finn told Jess.

"Ok, I will be there. I will copy the email and bring it too. She needs to know. Does Marty know?"

"I am not sure how much he knows and what she might have shared. I don't think he knows about our history."

"Ok, well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Thanks for calling and I will see you tomorrow. I will also bring the two notebooks that I have translated. This might help her see how much he loved her."

Jess hung up the phone. He turned on his computer and pulled up the email. He hopes that the DNA sample cleared him of suspicion. He printed the email and placed it in a sealed envelope. He took his notes and placed everything in his messenger bag. He walked out and gave Cindy a hug and the two of them closed the shop for the night.

Finn hung up the phone and sat and poured himself a drink. He sips his drink and thinks about Rory finding out the truth about Ace. He is anxious. She is carrying his baby, she is already having health problems and he hopes that this doesn't make it worse.

How he wishes they never broke up. He thinks of the night he and Rory decided that they no longer could be together. It was the hardest thing for them to do. Rory had become close friends with Steph and Colin, the four of them would have dinner together, but they had to pretend that they were just friends. Steph and Colin figured it out, but Colin reminded them both about Logan. When he found out that Logan was engaged, he thought maybe it could work. But when Logan's engagement was canceled, they both agreed that it was best to just be friends. He was friends with Logan and she didn't want to come between them. He started to date Rosemary and then she started to date Ace. He and Ace became friends, especially when Lorelai was sick.

 _Finn was sitting in the hospital cafeteria waiting for Rory. She and Jess were with Luke upstairs in the hospital waiting room while Lorelai was being operated on. Ace sat down with two cups of coffee. He approached Finn handing him a cup he said, "I have watched you with Rory. You are in love with her too, and so is Jess."_

 _Finn looked at him and gave him a weak smile, "We are. We have been for a long time."_

 _He shook his head, "She is the first person I have ever loved, I am going to make her mine. I know how important you are to her and I want to be friends."_

 _He put his hand out and shook Finn's hand._

 _Smiling back at Ace, he took his hand and shook it. "Friends, Mate. But if you hurt her, Jess and I will hurt you."_

" _I understand."_

 _Then he slapped Finn on the back and they clinked their paper cups. They left the cafeteria and returned upstairs. As they approached the waiting room, both men looked across the hospital waiting room at the sleeping woman leaning on Luke's shoulder giving him support as Lorelai was being operated on._

Finn's phone rang bringing him back to the present.

"Oh Rose, I can pick you up in about an hour. Just finishing up here. I made dinner reservations at Komatke for the two of us. I will see you soon."

He closed his phone and then finished his drink. He needs to find out what the Huntzbergers involvement was with Ace.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

The next morning Rory woke up smiling at Marty. She lightly kissed his chest, his neck and under his ear. He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately back.

"Good morning beautiful," he said as he slid his arm around her waist.

He then bent down and kissed her baby bump. "Good morning little guy."

She had slept well, only getting up once during the night. She slid out of bed and went into the bathroom. She returned and sat on the edge of the bed. He got up and sat beside her.

"Are you going for a run this morning?" she asked him as he massaged her shoulders and neck.

Kissing her neck, he said, "Nope, let's go take a shower."

The two of them went into the bathroom and took a shower. She loved it when he washed her hair. It relaxed her, and she was happy anytime she could be in his arms.

They got out of the bathroom and she put on her robe. She left him in the bathroom while he shaved and got ready for work. She sat at the vanity he bought for her in the bedroom so that she could dry her hair and have a place for all her makeup.

"You know, when we look at other apartments, I want the master bathroom to have two sinks and a very large counter with lots of storage, so I can keep my things in there," she shouted to him over the hair dryer.

He walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. She smiled at him, loving the way he looked.

"Oh you do, do you, well we will make it a priority and if it doesn't have it, we will own the apartment, so we can have it remodeled any way you like."

He walked over and kissed her on the top of her head. She stood up and turned towards him and kissed him.

"I love you, Mr. Knight. Marty, I was thinking, with the sale of the apartment, I should finally go over my finances and see what I need to do to make a trust for the baby."

"I agree, call Rita and make an appointment so both Colin and I can be there and go through everything with you. You inherited a lot from Ace's estate, the sale of his apartment, and now with the recent inheritance from you Grandmother Francine, we need to talk about your plans."

"I think one of my plans, is to set a wedding date so I can be Mrs. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden Knight. Then I want us to merge our finances so that it is "ours" not yours or mine. How does that sound?"

"I like the part where you want to set the wedding date. We will talk to Colin and discuss the Yours, Mine, and Ours," he said smiling at her.

"Now I better get dressed and make some breakfast for us. The car will be here in forty-five minutes. Are you going to be ready?" He said while he pulled on his boxers and then his pants.

She went into the closet and pulled out the blue wrap dress that she planned on wearing today. Walking out of the closet in her bra and panties he smiled.

"If you keep walking around like that, we will not have breakfast and we will both be late for work," he teased her as he was putting on his shirt and tie.

She quickly put on her dress and walked over to him. She took the tie from him and kneeled on the bed, putting the tie around his neck she pulled him close to her and she kissed him. She then tied his tie for him.

"Can I have a pop tart for breakfast this morning with my yogurt please?" she asked him looking at him with her best Bambi eyes.

"Rory, you're turning our baby into a sugar junkie, only if you promise to have a healthy lunch today."

She laughed at him and went back into the closet and pulled out her tote bag to take to work today. She grabbed her Ace Box and then took her Logan Box too. Maybe if she sits with Finn and they go through the two boxes, she will move on with both men.

"I have a lunch meeting today with Finn, I am doing a story on the new face of Morgan LLC, and he agreed to the story if I did the interview," she told Marty.

It wasn't a lie, and she will write the story and use it in the business report when Dan does the news. But her real reason was to talk to Finn about Ace. To understand what was going on.

As she walked out of the bedroom, he handed her a cup of tea and her yogurt. She sat at the table and ate her yogurt as he ate his scrambled eggs and sausage he made for himself. She grabbed his coffee cup and sniffed it.

"I miss coffee so much," she said as she put his cup down and picked up her cup of tea.

"You can have it soon Babe. Your blood pressure is high enough we don't want to have problems."

"When is Gabby coming back?" she asked him.

"Tonight, I got a message from her a few minutes ago. Dad is doing well, and Liam will pick her up at the airport."

"Oh, I am glad. I like them together."

"Don't you think he is a little old for her?"

"Nope, he is her Luke, calm and steady, just like you are mine," she told him and got up and kissed him.

They both rinsed off their breakfast dishes, Rory grabbed a box of pop tarts and placed it in her tote. Marty laughed at her and they both picked up their things and left their apartment.

That morning, Logan went to the HPG headquarters. He knocked on his father's office door and walked in. His father looked up from his computer as he walked into the office.

"Logan, this is a surprise. What brings you here this morning?"

"Dad, we need to talk."

"Oh, about what?"

"Dad, I know."

"You know what Logan?" Mitchum retorted back raising his voice.

"Dad, I went back over the financials for the last 10 years. What's going on?"

"Logan, you had no right!" Mitchum shouted at Logan.

Logan looked at his dad and shook his head, "Dad, I have a seat on the board, I have every right and I spoke to Uncle Wes, we both went over everything. When were you going to tell us that you are in debt?"

Mitchum looked at his son in shock. How could his son call in his brother and check up on him? I am his father, I always bailed him out. Who does he think he is?

"Logan, this doesn't concern you, you took your money out and you are building your own business. Everything is fine."

"Dad, it's not fine. Let me help."

"Logan, I have worked to do," and he opened his office door to indicate he had enough of this conversation.

Logan walked out and headed toward the elevator. Getting in he dialed his Uncle Wes' number. They needed to do something soon or they would no longer have a company.

Finn picked up Rory at 1 pm. He sent her a text when he left, she was waiting in the lobby when he arrived. She got into his sports car and he drove to his beach house he kept in Oyster Bay. This was a property that his family owned, and he kept a small three-bedroom beach house that he used when he didn't want people to find him. Finn first brought Rory here in the summer of 2012. It was their private spot. She loved this place, it reminded her of the Crap Shack. They got there by 1:30. He pulled out a picnic basket with food and a cooler that he stocked with water, beer, tea, and soda.

She walked out on the deck and looked at the view. He walked up and stood behind her. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he knew he couldn't.

"So, Love, what is going on?" he asked her as he walked forward and stood beside her against the railing.

She turned and looked at him.

"Finn, I want you to be honest with me. Tell me about Ace, your friend. I want to make sure he is the man I knew."

"Ok, but I will need help, and that's why I asked Jess to come. He should be here shortly."

"You asked Jess? I don't understand why?"

"Well Rory, Ace was our friend too, and Ace knew what we meant to you and what you mean to us."

She looked up at Finn and put her hand on his face. He put his hand on top of it and turned and kissed it. She smiled at him.

"Let's go up to the roof and sit and talk. Grab a blanket and I will grab the picnic basket and cooler," he told her.

She grabbed the plaid blanket that he always had on the back of his couch and carried it upstairs to the chairs on the roof. The deck that surrounded the roof was amazing. They had a view of the bay. She sat down on one of the deck chairs that Finn kept up there. She heard Finn talking to someone, and she knew that Jess had arrived. Finn and Jess carried up the picnic basket and two coolers. Jess never would come without bringing something and he stopped and bought ice cream, knowing that a Gilmore needed her Rocky Road ice cream when she wallowed. She got up from the chair and hugged her best friend. Then Jess dished out the ice cream, adding the syrup and whipped cream and the three friends sat down and talked

"Ror, why do you want to talk about Ace?" Jess asked her looking into her blue eyes.

Rory sighed and whispered, "It's time for me to know. You two men have always been honest with me. I love you both and I know that you will tell me the truth. We promised each other a long time ago, Jess. No secrets and no running."

"Yes, we did. So, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me everything."

Jess looked at Finn and nodded.

"Well Love, Ace became our friend when he fell in love with you. Yes, Rory, he loved you with all his heart. You were it for him. We promised him that we would be there for both of you. We spent a lot of free time together as you know," Finn began.

"Ace knew of my interest in the French language, and while you were with your mother and Luke, Ace gave me French lessons, he taught me how to read, write and speak French," Jess added.

"Soon Ace opened to the two of us, and before long he would confide in us. Around October of 2014, he told us about what happened before he met you. He told me about the affair he had with a woman in France. We never knew who she was, but he had ended it before he met you. Apparently, when he ended his relationship with her she was also having an affair with a married man. She continued to contact him, but he ignored her," Finn continued.

"You were working at CBS and were happy. We saw the two of you whenever you came to the city, and when your mom got sick, he would stay with me in Luke's apartment, while you were at the house with her. It was during those nights that we talked about you and me. How you and I met and our relationship, how I helped you when you dropped out of Yale. He asked me once about the guy you dated that caused you so much pain. I never told him his name but called him the Yale Dick." Jess snickered.

Finn and Rory both laughed, knowing Jess's true feelings towards Logan. Finn and Jess continued to tell Rory about their conversations with Ace and how they grew to respect him and knew how much he was in love with her. They both agreed that if he hurt her that they would make his life hell.

"Ace told me that he was offered a very lucrative job in London, but when he met you, Rory, he turned it down. But the company continued to pursue him even when he didn't want it." Finn continued.

"Right after your mother died," Jess said, "He told Finn and I that he was receiving letters asking for money."

"Did either of you know who the women was that he had an affair with? That it was Odette, Logan's fiancé?" she asked them.

"No, we didn't. I first met Odette when they were engaged, and I didn't like her. She was a flirt and a snob. Colin had a 2013 New Year's Eve party. Logan and Odette were invited and, Marty was there. She was flirting with Marty, but he walked away and left the party early that night. Logan kept his distance from her. We tried to tell him not to marry her, but he kept on saying that it was the dynastic plan. Though he never slept with her he said, she did move into his London apartment. My family also had met her and her family and heard about the way they did business. My family would not even involve them in any of our businesses in France. They were never invited to any of our open houses, or galas," Finn explained

"If Ace broke up with her, who was blackmailing Ace? Who offered him a lucrative job in London?" she wondered out loud.

At this point, Jess got up and walked over to the patio table and grabbed his messenger bag. He also pulled out two beers and handed one to Finn.

"Ror, do you want a soda or tea?" he asked her while he had the cooler open.

"Ice tea please," she answered.

Handing her the tea, he pulled his chair closer to her and opened his bag. He pulled out the notebooks he had translated. He began to read.

"2, _May 2014,_

 _I have arrived back in DC and will attend the Correspondent Dinner. Looking forward to seeing my friends and spending time with my parents. Trying to decide if I want the job that HPG is offering me. They want me to oversee their whole news media both written and digital. I would have to relocate to London. It's too close to_ _ **her**_ _._

 _3, May 2014_

 _I met the most incredible woman tonight. She has bewitched me with her intelligence and blue eyes. I want to see her again, but I must end my other relationships. This woman will be the one I take home to meet my parents. Her name is Rory, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore Hayden. I have read some of her articles, she has written under the pseudonym Leigh Hollow._ _Now she is working for CBS, I am tempted to take the job offer so I can see her again._

 _10 May 2014,_

 _Made sure I went to New York City to CBS, I stopped to talk to Charles Shapiro. I went to the fishbowl and watched her work. She was amazing. I stopped and spoke to her. I convinced her to have drinks with me. I stayed around and watched her. We went to the Hamilton, and we sat and talked until the morning. I wanted to kiss those perfect lips, I wanted to run my hands through her thick brown hair._

 _11 May 2014,_

 _I contact HPG, I told them I was not interested in a job and took the job as the foreign correspondent that CBS offered. I want to be near Rory, Rory Gilmore."_

"Rory, here are the journals that I have translated so far. Remember there are at least four more of these journals. But this proves he loved you. From what he told me and Finn you were the first woman he ever fell in love with," Jess explained to her.

Rory put her head back and leaned against the chair. She looked out at the Bay, watching the sun slowly set. She pulled the blanket over her shoulders.

"Come on Love, let's go downstairs and I will start a fire in the fireplace, and we can continue to talk."

"Jess, Finn, should I call Marty, so he doesn't worry? Maybe ask him to join us?"

"I think you should, Love," Finn told her. He got up and hugged her.

"Ok, I will be down in a minute." she picked up her phone and dialed his number.

"Hey Babe, when will you be home, how did your meeting go with Finn?" Marty asked sounding upbeat.

"Marty, I am still with Finn and I want you to join us. We are at his place in Oyster Bay, his Boat House. I will have Finn give you the address."

"Babe, what's wrong, why are you there?"

She walked down the stairs and handed the phone to Finn so that he can give Marty directions.

"Finn, what's going on? Why are you out at your Boat House with Rory? I thought she was interviewing you."

"Marty, she is here with me and Jess. She wanted to talk about Ace. She wants you here, and I think she needs you to be here with us."

"I don't understand, what's going on?"

"Mate, do you know where my place is? Take the L.I.E. and get off at the Jericho exit, then take RTE 105 to Oyster Bay. I will text you the address, it is the only place on the road," Finn told him.

"Ok, I will be there in thirty to forty minutes, tell Ror, I will pack a bag for her."

"Good idea, I don't think you want to drive back tonight. I have three bedrooms here."

Marty ended the call and went into their bedroom. He grabbed his duffle bag and began to throw his clothes in. He went into her closet and found her jeans and Tunic top she wears with it. He packed what he thought she would need. Marty got into his car and typed in the address that Finn had texted him. As he was driving out over the Throgs Neck Bridge to get on the L.I.E., he was wondering why she needed to talk to Finn and Jess about Ace. What did Logan and Liam tell her?

Marty pulled up to the Boat House, it was all lit up. He figured he would hear laughter and music, but the house was quiet. He knocked on the door and Finn answered it. Finn gave him a man hug and patted him on the back.

"Come in, Mate," Finn said, taking the bag from Marty.

"Where is she?" Marty asked.

"She is laying down in the upstairs bedroom. Before you go up come in and sit down so Jess and I can talk to you."

Finn ushered him into the main room where the fire in the fireplace was roaring taking the chill out of the small cottage. Jess got up and gave Marty a hug too.

"How is she?" Marty asked them.

"Well, it's hard to tell, she called Finn yesterday wanted him to talk to her about Ace. Finn called me and so I came out too. She's confused, surprised even. I think she is doubting herself. She also brought this."

Jess showed him the small box with the words Ace on it.

"What's this?"

"It's a box with her keepsakes that she collected with Ace. Lorelai and Rory had a tradition that they would box up items that remind them of the person who broke their heart," Jess explained.

"Hmm, that explains the two boxes I moved from her closet that said, Dean and Logan," Marty replied.

"Jess read her part of what he translated from two of the journals and gave her the rest to read. That's when I suggested she go into the bedroom and read them. When I checked on her she was lying down," Finn told him

"Is she sleeping?" Marty asked.

"No, but the journal that I translated talked about the blackmail and Odette's pregnancy and their affair while she was engaged to Logan. Apparently, Odette had a married man on the side while she was engaged to Logan too. It also told about the breakup when he found out about the engagement. It explained his suspicions that Odette and her family were blackmailing him."

"Does she know about the email?" Marty asked Jess.

Jess shook his head, "Not yet. I have it sealed in an envelope and it is still in my messenger bag. We need to get the other journals translated and the SD cards to find out what they mean. It also may have the identity of the man in there. Marty have you heard from Dugrey?"

"Yes, in fact, he called me today. He told me that he had received a message from Rory, but he was on a plane and had to fly to the Caymans to follow the paper trail that was on the SD Cards. So, I think when he gets back we may know more."

Just then they heard her walking down the steps. She walked into the room and the three men turned in their seats and looked at her. Marty got up and walked towards her. She had tears in her eyes, and they were still puffy from when she was crying.

Pulling her into his arms he said, "I am here, Princess. Everything will work out. We promise."

She clung to him and put her head on his chest and sobbed. He walked her toward the couch where he had been sitting. Finn and Jess got up to leave them alone, but Rory stopped them.

"No, I need you two to be here too. Finn, Jess, you're my best friends. Jess, you know me the best, you can be honest with me when no one else will. Finn, you helped me get through the rough times and you stayed by my side even when things got rough between us. Please, stay."

They smiled at her and then Finn got them all something to drink.

"Marty, I called you because I promised I would not run and that I would never keep secrets from you. I need you to see what is in this box. I filled it when I came back from the Hamptons after I found out I was pregnant. I knew I had to move on and the only way to do that was to take the things that reminded me of Ace and put them away. But now I have to face it if I want to have my future with you."

"I am listening, but are you sure you want to do this?"

She nodded and picked up the box and opened it. The first thing she took out was her engagement ring. She looked at it and then at the one on her hand now. She smiled up at Marty and put it aside. The next was a wine label from their favorite winery in the Finger Lakes.

"This was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, we bought it when he took me to see Cornell. It was the Cornell Alumni weekend and we stayed at this charming Inn on Cayuga Lake and visited the wineries. Here is a photo of us at the Inn and another photo of us by the lake at sunset. These are the plane tickets for our trip to Italy after my mother's funeral."

She picked up a picture frame with their photo of their engagement announcement that was in the New York Times. Steph had it framed for her and gave it to her at the party that they had. Then there was the picture of her, Ace, Finn and Jess all together at the same party. It was her favorite picture. The last thing she took out was a disk by Stan Larson, she would listen to it every time Ace left for one of his trips overseas when she couldn't go. She then picked up the journal that she kept when he was gone. She hadn't looked at it for a while and she thumbed through it. Suddenly she stopped at an entry.

It was written in November 2015,

 _Ace had_ _to suddenly leave_ _for_ _Switzerland, I_ _wish he wouldn't leave. He seems upset and worried._

"Jess, Finn, Marty, read this entry. This might be a clue to what was going on."

Marty picked up the journal and began to read it.

" _Ace had_ _to suddenly leave for_ _Switzerland, I wish he wouldn't leave. He seems upset and worried. He told me not to worry about anything and he would be back soon. He didn't want me to take him to the airport and left early this morning._

 _Ace hasn't called me. This is so unlike him. I checked online to where he said he was staying but he never checked in. Where is he?_

 _He finally called me. He didn't tell me anything, just telling me that he had to meet with his contacts. What does this mean? There is nothing going on in Switzerland. Where is he?  
_

 _Ace didn't call for 3 more days. I am worried. I asked Chris if he knew where he was. Chris said, he hasn't heard from him at all. Later I receive a message that he is in London. He will be home tomorrow._

 _Ace came home from London. He seemed happy to see me. Everything is alright. I have nothing to worry about. I am being silly."_

"Rory, I don't think this means anything, but we can check the dates with his entries. Are you ok now?"

"No, I don't think the Huntzbergers are being honest, especially Logan. Something is not right," Rory said.

Finn got up and leaned against the mantle of the fireplace and poked at the fire. He turned to them and said, "Love, I agree things don't add up. I will check things out. Marty what do you and Colin know about his holdings and his estate. "

"Well it all belongs to Rory now, we plan to visit his parents this weekend to tell them about our engagement. Maybe we can talk to them about Ace."

Rory looked at the three men and said, "This really didn't help me at all. What was going on? Will I ever know?"

Jess went over to her and sat on the coffee table in front of her. "Ror, look at me. There is nothing you need to do. Remember he loved you and you made a child out of his love. Now you have Marty who loves you, who wants you and Ace's child to be happy. Don't analyze this. You have us too. Finn and I will always be there to support you and Marty. Don't pull a Lorelai and run!"

She leaned forward and threw her arms around Jess, "I love you Dodger."

"I love you too, Book Tease." then he kissed her on the forehead.

Marty smiled at them. He no longer was uncomfortable around them. He understood she needed these two men in her life now that Lorelai was no longer here. He hoped that she will need them less, the longer they were together.

"Come on Babe, let's go to bed," he said and kissed her cheek. They got up and he shook hands with both the men and thanked them. She hugged them both. First Jess than Finn. Finn held her longer and kissed the top of her head.

Lifting her chin, he looked at her and said, "Kitten, no worries, everything will be alright. The three of us will make sure."

They then went upstairs to the room that Finn had for them. She changed into Marty's Harvard t-shirt that he packed for her to wear. Marty took off his pants and shirt and climbed into bed with her. She put her head on his chest and curled her body into him. He stroked her hair and soon she was asleep. Marty laid on the bed and kept on thinking about the email Jess received, and Dugrey's message that he was checking the paper trail that was on the SD cards. That information was the finances of HPG.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

The next morning, Marty woke up first. He quietly slipped out of bed and put on his sweatpants that he brought and went downstairs. Finn was up already and was just making coffee.

"Good morning, coffee will be ready shortly," Finn greeted Marty, "How did you sleep?"

"Not good, too many things going through my mind. Finn, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, anything."

"Rory made a comment last night about the two of you. I need to ask you, what was your relationship with Rory?"

Finn poured them both a cup of coffee, then he took out the brandy and added a shot to both. He handed Marty his cup before he said anything.

"You will need this, and so do I. Rory and I were together for almost two years. It began in 2012 when we ran into each other in Vegas at one of my hotels. She was doing a piece for the Conde Nast on one of the Morgan Hotels that we remodeled in Vegas. She didn't know it was my family's property. We hadn't seen each other in 5 years, soon we would meet whenever we were in the same place. Before you know it, we made it a point to be in the same place. She came back to Hartford, and I had a party for her. Colin and Steph were there, everyone except Logan, but we kept our relationship a secret. Colin and Steph figured it out. Logan came back in December of 2013, for that New Year's Eve Party and he brought Odette. Rory originally planned to go with me, but she got another job offer from NBC and went to the NBC party instead. We agreed that the feelings we had for each other wouldn't work, she had a hard time trusting me. Though I never dated or flirted with anyone during the time we were together, my reputation and friendship with Logan was a problem. He hurt her, and she was having difficulty trusting anyone. We would meet and have dinner occasionally, talk and email daily to each other. When she found out Logan was engaged, and shortly after her grandfather died, she spiraled out of control. She wasn't eating or sleeping and that's when her nightmares started. The young woman with the list always in control was no longer in control."

Just then Jess walked into the kitchen. Finn handed him a coffee with some bourbon in it.

"A little early for this, isn't it Finn?" Jess asked accepting the coffee anyway.

"No, it's a little bit of courage, I was explaining to Marty about my relationship with Rory."

"Oh, I understand now."

Finn continued, "Jess moved in with her, and I would go over when he had to work. Jess and I talked about it. I volunteered to move in with her, but."

This is when Jess interrupted, "Finn had strong feelings for her, and we both felt that if he moved in one of them would get hurt. Rory learned from Lorelai, you run to protect yourself. She couldn't run from me. We had already done that. I have a relationship with her where she will get mad at me but will listen to me."

"Yes, I noticed," Marty answered.

"Finn, are you still in love with her?" Marty asked.

"Mate, I won't lie, but I know that she doesn't love me like she loves you. I saw her with Ace. She had the same wide eye love for Ace as she had in college with Logan. In fact, that broke my heart. In college, with Logan, there was more fire, more fight. With Ace, she let him sweep her off her feet. She didn't put up much of a fight."

"Finn is right. Ace was a charismatic man. He saw her, and he was in love. Marty, you know that feeling. When you first met her how did you feel?" Jess asked.

"Like I wanted to be her best friend, and when we hung out together, I wanted her to be with me forever. When she chose Logan over me, I was angry, so I tried to move on."

"But you couldn't. I know. Luke told me once, 'You never get over kissing a Gilmore Girl'**. Finn and I talked about it and it was better to have her love you as a close friend than not at all," Jess added.

"Marty, why are you asking me this? Do you doubt her feelings towards you?" Finn asked Marty

"I don't know, we are talking about a wedding date now. I want her to be sure."

Jess got up and patted Marty on the shoulder, "If she is asking you she is ready. Don't make the mistake Luke did. Lorelai asked him to set the date, and he hesitated. It cost him 2 years of a life with Lorelai. When he hesitated, she moved on and married someone else?"

Rory came downstairs dressed, showered with her hair curled and makeup on.

"Ror, where are you going?" Marty asked her. It was 7:30 he was in no hurry to get back.

"Well when you weren't in bed, I figured that you wanted to return to the city. So, I got up and got ready so that you can drop me off at the studio."

Finn had a pot of tea ready for her. He filled a mug with tea and handed it to her.

"Finn, thank you," she said and gave Finn a kiss on the cheek.

"Babe, relax we are not going anywhere for a while," Marty said giving her a kiss.

Finn laughed and the 4 of them sat at the table. Last night, he had texted the food service that he uses for his company and had them deliver the coffee, tea, eggs, sausage, Danish, muffins, and donuts. They had delivered it 15 minutes before Marty had come down the stairs.

Finn got out the Danish, muffins, and donuts that he had delivered earlier. He quickly scrambled eggs and put them on a platter with the sausage that he had made.

"Love, how did you sleep last night?" Finn asked Rory.

"Like a baby. Speaking of which, our little guy is kicking up a storm this morning."

She took Marty's hand and placed it on her stomach. He felt it kick. Then she had Jess and Finn put their hand there. They felt the little guy move. Rory picked up a muffin and began to eat.

"Ror, I think you and I need to go back and look over the finances with Colin today. I have been thinking about this all night. Can you call in and take a sick day today?" Marty asked her.

"Sure, I will call in now. I will take a personal day, I will tell them that I must settle some paperwork. We will go back to your office and look through all the papers that explain Ace's will."

"Rory, I will call Steph and see how many of the journals she has finished. Why don't we all meet later tonight, maybe at your place?" Jess suggested.

"Finn, what do you think?" Marty asked him.

"I think it is a good idea, I will get in touch with a PI I use, and I will do some investigating myself. There is something that isn't right about his relationship with Odette."

"What do you mean, Finn?" Rory asked him.

"Odette and Logan were together when we were Kitten, I never told you that I had been in touch with him. It wasn't till after they became engaged in January of 2014 that she moved to London. But according to Ace's journal he stopped his affair with her when they got engaged. Also, Logan caught her in bed with the tennis Instructor, but Logan hadn't slept with her because he knew she was sleeping around with other people. His father was pushing the engagement till he finally gave in. So, her pregnancy that he was being blackmailed for... the dates don't add up and I think that was what he was investigating."

Rory drank her tea and sat quietly with a serious look on her face.

"Babe, I think when we go to Maryland, I will talk to Ace's dad and see if he knows anything about the blackmail. If Ace is as close to his father as you say he is, I am sure he shared this with him. I know I would with my father."

Rory went upstairs and called Christopher and Dan. She told them that she needed to go to McCrae Knight's office to go over paperwork that just surfaced that involves Ace's will. Downstairs, Marty called Colin and Steph. They were going to meet them at the McCrae Knight office at 10:00. Marty went upstairs and took a shower and Rory packed up her bag. Marty was ready to leave by 9 am. The 4 friends all embraced and planned to meet at Rory's and Marty's apartment at 6:00 that evening.

They arrived at Marty's office by 9:45, traffic was light returning to the city. Rory sat at the conference table and plugged in her laptop. She needed to have her blood pressure taken since they never took the time to take it earlier that morning. She settled herself down in the chair and closed her eyes to relax. She felt Marty's calm hands massage her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He then helped her hook herself up to the blood pressure cuff. The reading was slightly high, but not in the danger area. So, they sent the information to Gabby and the doctor's office.

"You know Gabby will be upset with us tonight when she sees that report," he said.

"I know, Steph and I have yoga tonight at 4 pm, so that should help as long as I remember to stay calm today."

Just then Steph and Colin came into the room. Being 19 weeks pregnant, you could not see her baby bump. She felt good and had a glow about her. Colin was also proud and being someone who rarely showed public affection he was more open with his feelings towards Steph.

"Hi guys, so why did you want to meet both of us this morning. Rory, we are still going to yoga at 4, correct?" Steph asked.

"Yes, and we want you both to come to our apartment after yoga," She turned and looked over at Marty when she said, 'our apartment'. He was holding her hand and squeezed it.

"Rory had a visitor at the studio, the other morning, which prompted her to talk with Finn and Jess. They called me to join them, they were at Finn's Boat House in Oyster Bay," Marty explained.

Colin looked at Rory, "Why didn't you call me after Logan left." he asked her with concern in his voice.

"Because I knew that Finn would tell me everything, Colin, please don't be hurt but you know what my relationship is with Jess and Finn. Ace also knew how Jess and Finn felt about me and he confided in them."

Colin walked over to Rory and took her hand in his, "I am not upset, Steph and I will do anything for you. So, what did Logan tell you."

Rory told them the conversation she had with Logan and then the conversations she had with Finn, and Jess. Marty explained to them how she was acting when she got there and how she then went through the box of items that she collected when she was with Ace. She explained to them that it was a ritual that her mother taught her. Whenever she had dated someone, and their relationship ended, she would pack their mementos up in a box and put it in the closet. It was a way for her to deal with closure. It was when she was going through the items with Finn, Jess and himself, that Rory realized that she needed to know more about what was in Ace's estate.

"Colin, Steph, Marty and I want to set a wedding date. But before we do that we need to go through my finances. With the sale of Ace's apartment, I need to understand everything. I have never had so much money before and I have let you and Marty be in control of everything. But now with my marriage to Marty, we decided that we need you to be a witness to what we are discussing and legally make sure that he is not pressuring me to do anything. As you know, I also received an inheritance from Grandma Hayden."

"Ok, let's get things going. Steph will be the witness, I will call Rita in to take notes and she is also a notary, so she can sign and stamp the documents."

Marty ordered tea and coffee along with a fruit tray, Danish and muffins from the cafe that was in their building. He went to the file room and computer and pulled up the information. Colin went into his office and had his secretary print out the documents he needed. Marty asked the Paralegal, Alice to join them in the conference room.

Marty, Colin, Steph, and Rory sat down and went through Ace's estate, his monetary wealth, his land, insurance, and different bank accounts. Marty and Colin then reviewed the joint account that he had recently opened but they had never used. It was during this that Rory asked Colin the question that she kept on forgetting to ask him.

"Colin, did anyone ever return his laptop to you after he died?"

"You know, Rory, I don't know. Let me go back into my files in my office and see what the inventory list shows. I remember his items being returned and I had an intern catalog everything and it was placed in a storage closet here."

Colin left, and everyone took a break. The girls went into the private bathroom off Marty's office.

Steph smiled at Rory, "So, you and Marty are going to set a wedding date?"

"Yes, I asked him, and he agreed. He kept saying he didn't want to push me, but he wasn't, it felt right. Steph, it's different with him. I never told you, but Finn and I were together for two years before I met Ace."

"We figured, you two never formally said anything, but Finn was different during that time. Then with you meeting Ace and he began dating Rosemary, I knew something was off. I think Finn confided in Colin, but you know that Bro Code they have. Finn always seems to be protective of you Rory."

"Finn and I tried to make it work, but that Bro Code, with Logan, made it difficult. Instead, we chose to be friends, like my friendship with Jess. I think that is why those two have become so close."

"How is it different with Marty?"

"Marty is sweet, kind, patient, passionate. He is not afraid to question me, but he lets me make my decisions. He listens but reminds me to be honest. He didn't grow up with money, like me and he has a great respect for it. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do, and I see it too."

They left the room and returned to the office to continue to go through all the paperwork.

They worked through lunch when at 1 o'clock, Marty stopped them and suggest they all have lunch and give the women a break. Even though he kept snacks available he knew that they were getting tired and needed to stop. Colin suggested they go to Carmines. He called for the car and the four of them left the conference room. They arrived at the restaurant by 1:30 and quickly were seated at a table. The girls quickly picked out what they wanted both choosing ravioli and a salad. The men chose the chicken parmesan and chicken marsala.

While they were enjoying their lunch, Finn was having lunch with Logan at the 21 Club Bar Room. They met there after Finn called him around 11:00. Finn needed to talk to Logan about his time with Odette. He wanted to figure out the time frame that haunted him.

The two men were enjoying their drinks waiting for their lunch to arrive. Logan was telling Finn about his new apartment and how the business was coming. Finn listened and smiled, making the occasional comments to show he was interested.

Finally, Logan looked at him and knew something was up. It was unusual for Finn to be so quiet at lunch.

"Finn, what's wrong. I know you have something on your mind. What is it?"

"Mate, I do, it's Rory, it's you, and your father. I feel something is up."

"What do you mean, what's wrong with Rory?"

"Rory came to see me yesterday, she wanted to talk about Ace. Ace was involved with Odette. Did you know that?"

"I recently found out myself. Am I surprised, no? She used sex as a tool to get what she wanted. She tried it with me, but I couldn't. She wasn't."

"Rory," Finn finished his thought for him.

"Well, what is this about Finn? Why are you asking me?"

"We have proof that your father offered him a lucrative position in 2014 around the same time you broke off your engagement. She was pregnant, you found her in bed with another man, and he turned down the job."

"Why would he have offered him a job?" Logan said.

"I don't know mate, according to his journals he broke it off with her the end of January. Suddenly she becomes pregnant in February but doesn't reveal it until after you find her in bed with someone else."

"Yes, she tried to say it was mine, but we made her have a DNA test and it wasn't."

"Well someone was blackmailing Ace, when you saw the journals at Dodger's bookstore, that was only a small part. The FBI is involved, and the agent is in the Cayman Islands right now checking out the accounts. I wanted to know if you could help me and Rory find out what went on and why he was in France the day he was killed."

"Sure, sure, I will help."

"Do you know how to get in touch with Odette?"

"No, I don't but I think I know someone who might, that Liza Morgan friend of my fathers. I will get in touch with her and see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Mate. Logan, you know she is in love with Marty."

"Yes, Finn, I know. Finn?"

Finn looked up at Logan and Logan asked, "How were you able to let her go?"

"We talked and decided that it wasn't meant to be. She felt that my friendship with you meant more, she didn't want me to give it up. I didn't want to give her up, so we agreed to stay friends, Jess helped me see it."

"Yeah, I noticed that you two are close."

Finn just nodded. Their meal arrived, and the two men ate and talked about other things.

After their lunch at Carmine's Steph, Colin, Rory, and Marty returned to the office.

By three o'clock the papers were signed and notarized. Rory was a rich woman. Ace had invested wisely in many properties and business around the world. He also had properties both in France, Italy and in Aruba. Rory was shocked. He took her to Italy and France, apparently, he planned on taking her to Aruba for their honeymoon and purchased the property in February of 2016. She wasn't sure what to do with these properties because she could not see herself or Marty traveling around the world like that. It wasn't the lifestyle she wanted now, she was happier staying in New York City and Connecticut near family and friends. He also had a safe deposit box at the bank of Manhattan that she would need to go through. Colin had brought the inventory paper of Ace's things to the office. The laptop was there. Rory brought the laptop back home and she would look at it later.

Around three, the girls left the office and the car brought them to Marty and Rory's place where they quickly changed and then went to the Soho Sanctuary to take the yoga class. They walked into the class five minutes before it started. They rolled out their mats and were sitting when the instructor walked in. It was Juliet their girlfriend from Yale. Neither Steph nor Rory had heard from her after they had graduated. Juliet walked over to her two old friends and embraced them. She told them that they would talk after the class. The class started, and the two women tried to do the poses that Juliet guided them through.

When it was over, Juliet walked over to her two friends.

"So how did you enjoy it? This is great for your pregnancies girls."

Rory looked at Steph and said, "Wow, this is why Gilmore Girls never exercise. This is supposed to bring my blood pressure down? I don't think so!"

Steph and Juliet laughed.

"Just concentrate on the breathing and I promise you, you will feel better. I can't believe that both of you are pregnant? So, who is the father… Rory did you and Logan finally get back together?" Juliet asked.

"Well Colin and I have been married for almost 2 years now," Steph said.

"No, Logan and I never got back together, it's a long story. My child's father died in May. How about we catch up soon for lunch or dinner?" Rory suggested.

"That will be great, Thursdays are my day off. Here is my number, text me the plans. I have another class to teach, so I will see you both soon," Juliet said as she hugged her two-old friend's goodbye.

Steph and Rory walked out of the studio and got into the car that was waiting for them and headed back to Rory's apartment. Both girls changed when they got back to the apartment and Rory poured them a glass of apple cider while they waited for Colin and Marty to come by.

"What do you feel like eating tonight, Steph?"

"Believe it or not I am still stuffed from lunch, maybe something lighter for supper. What do you have in your refrigerator, other than pop tarts."

Rory laughed as she led her friend to the kitchen and they looked through the refrigerator.

"One benefit of living with Marty is that our refrigerator and freezer is always stocked," Rory laughed as she looked in the refrigerator.

"Just one of the benefits of living with Marty?" Steph teased.

Rory laughed and blushed when she thought of all the benefits of living with Marty, his passion, his kindness, his sexual stamina, and his devotion towards her. Oh, there were many reasons that she keeps falling in love with this man every day.

Steph found some shrimp in the freezer, so she defrosted it by running it under the warm water. She had Rory cut the vegetables, showing her how to cut them into thin strips so that they could make a stir-fry. She then had Rory get the rice cooker out and cook some brown rice. By the time the men walked through the door at 6:30 the girls were cleaning up the dishes and had the dinner ready.

"This place smells delicious, Rory…. Did you do this?" Marty asked.

"Marty, you know if I had cooked, the smoke alarms would go off and the sexy firemen would be in here rescuing us," she laughed.

Kissing her he said, "You can invite Steph over to help you cook anytime."

"Marty, you haven't tasted it yet, you might change your mind," Colin teased and then kissed his wife.

Steph playfully slapped him on his arm, "Well I guess you don't get to eat dinner then," she told him.

Just then the door buzzer rang. Marty opened the door and in walked Jess and Finn.

"Is this the right apartment? I smell food and it isn't take out," Jess exclaimed as he handed Marty a pizza box.

"Steph cooked dinner tonight and I helped, "Rory said. Rory walked over and hugged her two close friends then went to the table and added two more places. They all sat down to eat. They had Shrimp stir fry with rice, and the pizza from Carmine's that Finn had picked up before picking up Jess.

Marty, Colin, and Jess cleared up the table and the dishes after their meal letting the girls rest. Finn sat down beside them and pulled out the laptop.

"I had lunch with Logan today and we talked about Odette. He went to see Mitchum and with his Uncle's help they went through the finances of HPG. It appears that the business is in big financial trouble. His father got into this problem when he made the deal for his dynastic plan, with the Fontane family. He was unaware of their ties with the Chinese and Russians and when they were arrested his assets were frozen. Two and a half years later the money has not been released. That could be one of the reasons for the financial problems."

Marty handed Finn a coffee, and Colin brought in a tray with his and Jess' coffee on it along with two mugs of tea for the girls.

Taking Marty's coffee from him, Rory sat there and sniffed it.

"Ror, what are you doing?" Colin asked her.

"Sniffing the coffee, I can't have any, so I sniff Marty's until he takes it away from me," she said.

The group all laughed, and Marty took his coffee mug away and gave her a kiss instead.

"Tristan should be back in a few days from the Caymans maybe he will have more information for us," Marty told them.

"I have Logan finding out where Odette is. Logan told me he had her take a DNA test while she was pregnant to prove the child wasn't his. I made a call to my P.I. and he is investigating the information we have and to see there is any validity of the DNA report."

"Rory, are you and Marty going to see Ace's parents this weekend?" Finn asked.

"Yes, that is our plan, why?"

"I am scheduled to be in Alexandria, Va. on business to check on our hotels there. Would you mind if I also stopped by and visit his parents? His dad and I used to talk a lot. I am thinking I might talk to him about Ace, maybe he will tell me more than he would to you, Marty. What do you two think?" Finn suggested.

"That might be a good idea since we want to talk about our plans to get married," Marty said.

"Finn, I hate to ask you, but do you think you have a room at one of your hotels for us? I tried going online but most places seem to be booked."

"Mate, never hesitate to ask, yes you can stay in one of the family suites at our hotel in Alexandria. I will text you the information tomorrow."

The group sat and discussed their plans and soon Rory and Steph were getting sleepy.

Finn, Jess, Colin, and Steph all left together, and Marty led a sleepy Rory to their bed.

After changing the two cuddled together.

"Marty, I want to use some of my money to buy the new apartment, even if I put in half. You bought the place in the Hamptons for us."

"If that is what you want, then it is ok by me. We will look at the places next week. Gabby called she is back. She and Liam want to meet us for dinner this weekend. I told her that we would be out of town."

"I will call her tomorrow and maybe I can meet her for lunch. What time does the train leave on Friday?"

"Well we can leave as early as 6 am but I figured we can take the 8 or 9 am train. We will get there by 11:30. They are nonstop trains."

"Perfect, we can work on the train and relax and either take a taxi or rent a car to get to their home," Rory said.

She rolled over to her side and Marty curled into her back. Laying his arm on her belly he could feel the little guy move. Slowly he stroked her belly and the baby seem to settle. He kissed her neck and shoulder and soon he heard her breathing. She had fallen asleep. With her, in his arms, he knew he would be asleep soon.

The next day the two of them were busy. Rory couldn't leave work to meet Gabby, but she assured her she was fine and so far, her blood pressure was still in the safe zone. She promised Gabby that they would see each other when they got back. She decided to do the schedule outline for the next day's show that night and to tweak it while she was on the train. She had explained to Chris why she was going to Alexandria, Va., leaving out the part of them announcing their engagement to Ace's parents but focusing on how she needed to settle all his estates now that she had an offer in on his apartment. Chris and Charlie both understood and were pleased that she was finally settling everything. They told her that they would support her whatever she did. She thanked them both and left. She returned home by 5:30. She immediately went into their room and packed for the weekend. As she was packing her phone rang, she walked into the other room where she left it.

"Hello Steph, what's up?"

"I want you to know I had Colin give Marty the translations of two of the notebooks that I finished to give to you. Rory make sure that you and Marty read it together. Also, I have a closing date for Ace's apartment. They want to close the week of November 7; will that work?"

"Yes, I am sure it will. Thanks, Steph and did you make appointments for us to look at those apartments next week?"

"I did, I gave those to Colin to give to Marty too, but if you want I can text you with the days and you can let me know what times would work for the two of you."

"Perfect, I will text you when we get to Alexandra and let you know how things go when I get back."

"Remember, if you need someone to talk to I am here, Okay?"

"Thanks, Steph, you are a wonderful friend."

She sat there and thought about her comment about reading the translation with Marty. Should she be worried? Maybe they also should both look at his computer together too.

Bringing her phone with her, Rory went through her clothes and sorted the clothes that she wanted to take with her to wash. She also went through Marty's laundry basket and put a load of clothes in the washer that was between their bathroom and bedroom. She also went through his shirts and sorted the ones that needed to go to the cleaners to be washed and pressed. She was so glad she didn't have to deal with this. She doesn't even own an iron, the one time she ironed, she melted one of her favorite shirts because she had the temperature too high. She put the shirts and two of her dresses in the bag to go to the cleaners and filled out the paperwork. She then took the elevator down to the lobby and handed it to the doorman who guaranteed it would return and delivered to their apartment by Monday. She smiled at thanked Walter who was the valet that was on duty. She took the elevator to their apartment and walked in trying to decide what to make for dinner. She pulled out a jar of sauce that was in the cupboard and put it in a pan. She then added the frozen meatballs that were in the freezer and let it simmer. She pulled out some linguini and added some red wine to the sauce along with oregano, basil and Italian seasoning. She filled the large pasta pot with water and turned the stove on, so the water would begin to boil. She then prepared a salad for dinner and turned on the oven for some garlic bread.

As she began to put the linguini into the pot, Marty walked in.

"What is that delicious smell coming from my kitchen? Who kidnapped my Rory Gilmore, the girl who couldn't cook?" he teased as he entered the kitchen area.

"I figured that you wouldn't want to eat out, so I made something easy. I have been having cravings for Italian food," she told him.

"It smells delicious," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. He stood there holding her for a few minutes. Finally, he let her go when he noticed that the water was boiling. Letting her go, he put the linguini into the pot and she set the table for the two of them.

He drained the pasta and she put the meatballs in a bowl and then put the sauce in the pasta serving bowl. He put the drained linguini in the bowl and then she added more sauce. He carried it to the table and she carried the meatballs and salad over. He then took the garlic bread out of the oven and cut it before putting it into the bread basket and brought it to the table. He grabbed a bottle of water for her and a beer for him.

Sitting at the table they enjoyed their dinner.

"I started the laundry and brought our clothes to the cleaners. They will be delivered to us by Monday. Oh, and Steph called, and she has a closing date for the apartment and she also said that you have paperwork for me."

"Yes, Colin suggests that we read it together," he added.

"Should we do it tonight? Or wait until we get back?" she asked him.

"I think after dinner we should read it. Ror, it will be ok, we will get through this. Just remember how much I love you," he said to her.

 _ ****A/N In the Gilmore Girls Television show, the comment about "**_ _ **You never get over kissing a Gilmore Girl'" was said by Christopher but as the author of this story I took the liberty and used it as a quote from Luke to Jess**_ _ **.**_


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60**

On the other side of the city, Logan was meeting with Liza Morgan at PJ Clarks on Third Street. He suggested this restaurant instead of the private club because he didn't want her to get any ideas that this was anything more than just a business meeting. He arrived first and got a quiet table in the back of the restaurant. He ordered his usual Macallan and waited for her to arrive. He waited there for ten minutes looking at his messages from Liam when she walked in. Always polite, he stood when she arrived and told her to sit across from him. She tried to lean in for a kiss, but he moved away and sat down instead. The waitress came over with menus, but he told her that they won't be staying long, just bring over a glass of red wine for his friend and the plateau, an assortment of clams, shrimp, and oysters.

"I hope you like shellfish," he said to her.

"I'm allergic," she admitted.

"Oh well, I will order you a salad then," and he called the waitress over and ordered her a Caesar salad.

"This meeting won't take long, Liza. I need some information and since you are an associate of my father and the company, I felt comfortable asking you for it."

"Oh, what type of information do you need?" she asked him with a smile on her face.

She took off her shoe under the table and began to run her toe up his leg.

Immediately Logan moved his chair back out of her reach and glared at her.

"I am not interested in you Liza, so cut the crap. I want to know if you have information on Odette Fontane, my former fiancée?"

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Well you implied at the Gala that you had when you spoke to Rory Gilmore," he told her with anger in his eyes.

"I only told her that because your father suggested that I should."

"So, do you or don't you know Odette Fontane?" Logan asked her.

"Well I don't need that service from you," he told her.

The waitress came with his shellfish, he asked her to put it in a to-go box because he was leaving. She returned with a box and he paid the bill and got up.

"Enjoy your salad Liza," he said and walked out.

When he reached his car, he called Finn.

"Hey, where are you? I have some shellfish from PJ Clarke's. I want to know if you want to meet me at my apartment in Tribeca?"

"Sure mate, I will pick up some burgers from Burke and Wills and be there in 30 minutes. Will it be the two of us or are you calling Colin too?"

"I will call Colin, I want to tell you both what I found out."

Hitting the end button on his phone, he wondered what his father's endgame was and why did it involve Rory and her dead fiancé. He then called his uncle and suggested for him to do more digging on the finances of HPG and to focus on the years from 2011 through now, he also suggested hiring a private investigator to follow his father. He knew his uncle would be discrete and it was important that his father not know that he was checking on him. His father was already upset with him since their meeting, he had left the next day telling his secretary he would be in the London offices for a few weeks.

After their dinner, Rory went into the bedroom and brought out Ace's laptop and put it on the table. Marty suggested that before they do anything that he gives her a massage and then take her blood pressure.

"Oh, and you think you cannot get me excited and raise my blood pressure if you give me a massage?" she teased.

Kissing her deeply he said, "I promise to gently massage your neck and shoulders and then we can take your blood pressure. When I am satisfied that your blood pressure is low enough we will open Ace's laptop."

He gave her a neck and shoulder massage which immediately relaxed her. She remembered the breathing exercises that Juliet had showed them and then he took her blood pressure. It was still in the normal range and she smiled and kissed him.

"You're amazing. You know when we come back we have to register for the birthing classes."

"I know, are you going to have Gabby deliver the baby or are you going to the hospital?"

"I haven't decided yet, I thought you and I could discuss that together," she told him.

He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her. He then walked her over to the table and opened his messenger bag and pulled out the translations. There were at least 30 pages in each packet.

"Where do we start, with the laptop or the translations? Did she say which packet we should open first?" she asked him

"I suggest we do the translations first and then save the laptop for later. Well, she numbered them, so I guess we start with Part 1." He handed her the packet with the number one on it.

They sat side by side reading the journal entries. These entries began in the fall of 2012 when he first met Odette at a Fundraiser in France at an Art Gallery. He was there in both an official capacity as a journalist and unofficial capacity as a patron of the arts. He wrote about their introduction by a mutual friend. They dated on and off and he would meet her when he was in France. He met her once in Paris where she had set up a hotel room for them. They drank and ate and ended up in bed together. The rest of the notebook continued to talk about his traveling, occasional mentions of her meeting him at different places but she always went to where he was. As they began to read, the dates changed to 2013. He mentions how she was becoming more and more possessive of him and jealous insisting that she sees him. He mentions arguments that they had and stories that he took that were in the US to avoid seeing her.

In the Fall of 2013, she told him that she accepted an engagement ring from some rich newspaper mogul that her father had arranged. She had hoped he would become jealous and then commit to her, However, he writes how he was glad that she was engaged and how he purposely took jobs and stories in the US. Ace wrote how he told her he was not interested in marriage and that they should stop seeing each other. She surprised him and came to Quebec City in Canada while he was covering a story. They had a big fight and he left the country immediately. He then got a new telephone making sure she could not get his number. While in Canada, she registered under the assumed name Cecilie Bouchard, which was her great grandmother's name. By February, he no longer saw her or heard from her. He had hoped that he had heard the last of her.

Rory looked at Marty and shook her head. Two men who she was once in love with had gotten involved with this temptress. She felt sorry for them both.

"Babe, are you ok?" he asked kissing her on the forehead.

"Yes, I guess. I am glad I have you in my life and that you were not interested in her advances."

"How did you know about that?" he asked her.

"Finn told me, and then so did Steph. I guess she tried when she was with Logan at the New Year's Eve Party that Colin and Steph had in 2013. You know I was supposed to go with Finn to that party, but I got the job with NBC and decided to go to a party there instead."

"I am glad you didn't. I don't know what I would have done if I saw you with Finn that night."

"Are you telling me that you would not have tried to talk to me?"

"Well it would have been hard with both Finn and Logan there, and you probably would have gone back with Logan that day."

"Maybe, but that is something we don't need to ever think about because I have you."

Marty put some music on his phone and pulled her up off the couch and began to dance with her. The song "I Got You" by Jack Johnson came on.

Marty sang to her as they danced in their living room,

" _ **Every pot of gold fill and full of distortion**_

 _ **Heaven was a place still in space not in motion**_

 _ **But soon**_

 _ **I got you**_

 _ **I got everything**_

 _ **I've got you**_

 _ **I don't need nothing**_

 _ **More than you**_

 _ **I got everything**_

 _ **I've got you**_

 _ **We went walking through the hills**_

 _ **Tryin**_ _ **' to pretend that we both know**_

 _ **Maybe if we save up**_

 _ **We can build a little home**_

 _ **But then the hail storm came and yelled**_

 _ **You need to let go, you've got no control. No"**_

Rory looked up at Marty and sang with him,

" _ **I got you**_

 _ **I got everything**_

 _ **I've got you**_

 _ **I don't need nothing**_

 _ **More than you**_

 _ **I got everything**_

 _ **I've got you**_

 _ **This weight's too much alone**_

 _ **Some days I can't hold it at all**_

 _ **You take it on for me**_

 _ **When tomorrow's too much**_

 _ **I'll carry it all**_

 _ **I've got you**_

 _ **And when tomorrow's too much**_

 _ **I'll carry it all**_

 _ **I got you**_

 _ **I got you**_

 _ **I got everything**_

 _ **I've got you**_

 _ **I don't need nothing**_

 _ **More than you**_

 _ **I got everything**_

 _ **I've got you"**_

They held each other and kissed tenderly. He then lifted her and carried her into the bedroom. Putting her down, he kisses her more passionately running his hands through her hair. They slowly undress each other, and she kissed his chest then lightly rubbing her face on the fair hairs of his chest. He picks her up and lays her on the bed, he kisses her lips, her neck and then the swell of her breast. She arches her back craving more of him. He kisses her and plunges his tongue into her mouth. She responds and their tongues dance as their hands continue to caress each other. He kneels between her legs and kisses her stomach and the baby bump. He slips his fingers between her legs and gently traces her most intimate part. She is so wet with a longing that she moans as he slips his finger into her gently but firmly, first one then two.

"Marty, I want you," she moaned.

"Get up on your knees," he told her huskily.

His hands travel over her hips and he pulls her towards him, immediately she feels the fire that stirs inside her. He slips into her and it makes her feel so complete. Slowly at first, he moves inside her. He begins to pick up the pace and she clenches around him as she feels him throbbing and pulsating. They both yell each other's name out as they climax together. He collapses on the bed next to her and pulls her into his strong arms. Looking her deep into her eyes he kisses her and tells her how much he loves her. The two of them fall asleep.

 _A/N "I Got You" by Jack Johnson._

The next morning, Rory was getting ready in the bathroom when she heard Marty on the telephone. He walked into the bathroom and hugged her as she was applying her makeup.

"No need to rush this morning. Finn just called to tell me that he wanted us to fly with him on his plane instead of taking the train. He will pick us up at nine thirty."

"Oh, that is nice of him," Rory said as she smiled up at Marty. She leaned back into him and enjoyed having his arms around her.

"Do I have time to check my emails? I was planning to do it on the train."

"Why don't you make us some poached eggs while I hop into the shower. And Ror, remember to poke the membrane," he chuckled as he started the shower.

She laughed and walked out into the kitchen and put two eggs in the microwave poacher and poked the membranes. She put two slices of bread in the toaster. Remembering to add water to the container she put it into the microwave. The microwave dinged, and she slid them on the plate with the toast. She added two more slices of bread into the toaster and again made the poached eggs. They came out perfect. She was so proud of herself. She might be able to cook for her family before her child needed solid food. Making herself some tea and Marty's coffee she set it out on the table. She also pulled out two containers of yogurt. She turned on her laptop and pulled up her email. As she was eating her yogurt she checked her email. She noticed that she had a message from Yale and another from LDB. She quickly opened the Yale message and it was a reminder of the Yale reunion on the following weekend. She then opened the LDB message. It was a dinner/dance for the same night with a theme invitation coming soon. She would have to ask Finn about this and if significant others were included. Marty walked out into the dining room and smiled when he saw that the breakfast was perfect, and she was not in tears.

Kissing her he said, "I told you, you could do this."

"I might be able to cook by the time our little guy is on solid food," she said.

Laughing he asked," What are you looking at?"

"Have you checked your email? We have a reminder about the Yale reunion next weekend. Should we go?"

"Would you want to go?" he asked her.

"Well I think I do, and I was thinking we can check out the Alumni House and see if we can have our wedding there. Since that is where we met."

Smiling at her he teased, "Maybe coffee carts at the reception."

Her eyes twinkled remembering the delicious coffee she would always get at the coffee cart by the library. She picked up her mug and dishes and went to rinse them before loading them in the dishwasher. Marty brought his in and made himself a second cup of coffee. She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his chest inhaling his scent of body wash and cologne he always used. She looked up at him and they kissed tenderly.

"I sense you are nervous. It will be ok, I promise," He told her as he kissed her again.

She went back and closed her laptop and put it into her case. She grabbed the tote she had used when she went to Finns and it felt heavy. Looking inside she saw the box marked Logan. She walked back to her closet and put the tote inside. She grabbed another bag. She wasn't ready to open that box, it would be like reopening up a can of worms. She is finally happy where her life is now, and she likes the place that Logan was, on the fringe, a friend nothing more. She then thought of her mother and felt her throat close. Turning around she walked out of the closet and shut the door. Grabbing the tote, she filled it with her kindle, headphones and her laptop. She put her id and wallet in a smaller bag that would fit inside of her tote. Marty walked into the room and asked her if she was ready. She walked back into the bathroom and grabbed another hairbrush, placing that inside her tote she turned off the light. She smiled at him and nodded. As they were walking to the elevator, Marty's phone chimed letting him know that he got a message from Finn that he was waiting in the car in front of their building.

As they walked out of their apartment lobby, Finn was leaning against his car with his aviator sunglasses on. He opened the back door of his BMW for her and Marty got in the front seat next to him.

"I thought you were going to send a driver?" she asked him.

"No, I decided it was such a beautiful day I would drive and leave my car in the parking lot. Then when we return we won't have to wait. Do you have everything you need love?"

"Yes, we do," she said.

Finn pulled out into the traffic and headed to the airport. They arrived at the terminal for the private jets. He parked the car and immediately the steward came out of the hanger and helped them with their luggage. They climbed onto the private jet and sat down. Rory smiled remembering her many trips on this jet with Finn and the bed in the back. She turned and took a seat near the front away from the bedroom in the back of the plane.

Leaning down he whispered into her ear, "I see you aren't going to the back of the plane, any special reasons, love?"

She looked up at him and smiled and said, "You devil."

He laughed and then sat across from her. Marty sat beside her and she pulled out her laptop.

"Finn, did you get the message from the alumni association? Are you going to go to the reunion this year?"

"I haven't thought about it, why are you two going?" he asked.

"We talked about it this morning and I thought that I might check out places there for our wedding since that's where we met. Did you get a notice from LDB saying that there was a dinner dance that evening? Is it members only or can it be members and guest too."

"Members and guest, are you two thinking of going?" Finn asked.

"Maybe, if you, Colin, Rosemary, and Steph go."

"Well, I think we should plan on going the six of us. Marty, what do you think? Are you up for a college reunion and an LDB event?" he asked.

Hugging Rory he smiled. "If she wants to go then I will be there."

The plane landed, and Rory was still teasing Finn.

"I think it is only right that at my wedding you, Logan and Colin should serve people coffee since you used to hire Marty to serve drinks at all your parties."

"Love, I guarantee that there will not be coffee in those mugs if we are serving."

Marty and Rory laughed.

"Man, you might as well say you will do it, Finn you know she will continue to ask you until the three of you say yes." Marty teased.

Finn wrapped his arm around Rory's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "NOPE!"

She slapped his arm and they all walked to the car waiting for them, their luggage already was in the trunk. Finn had the driver bring them to his hotel. He walked in and got the keys to the family suite. It had four bedrooms in it and since it was just the three of them, there will be plenty of room. They took the private elevator to the top floor where the suite was located. It was beautiful and the view of Alexandria, Virginia was breathtaking.

After unpacking, Rory called Adélaïde and Nicolai. Adélaïde was happy to hear that they had arrived and invited them for dinner. She suggested that they come around four, so they can sit and visit before they eat dinner.

Hanging up from the call Rory walked over to where Marty was working on his computer. He was answering an email that he had received from Tristan. She put her arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head. Turning around in his chair he pulled her into his lap.

"Babe, everything ok?"

"Yes, she wants us to come over around four and have dinner."

Kissing him, she put her head on his shoulder. She wanted them to give their blessings, but she was afraid that they would be angry with her like her grandmother was. What would she do if they rejected her too?

Finn had left them and went to work in his office at this hotel. She sent him a message letting him know that they would be at dinner tonight at the Gerrard's and they would meet him later.

While Finn was in his office he called Nick Gerrard and asked if he could meet with him tomorrow. Nick was happy to hear from Finn. He liked the young man very much and was pleased when his son had become good friends with him. He also knew of Finn's affection for Rory. He knew if Finn was around, his future grandson and the lovely Rory would be ok. He was looking forward to seeing Rory tonight. He wondered if she was bringing the young lawyer with her. He checked him out and found out that he was a very successful lawyer in New York City and was part owner of the McCrae, Knight law firm. He was a graduate of Yale and Harvard, top of his class. He would have to ask Finn about him on Saturday since Finn said he couldn't make dinner tonight and join them.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

Marty helped Rory get into the car that Finn had made available for them. Whenever Finn or his father were in the Washington area, they always had cars available for them to use. Finn gave Marty the keys to one of the cars. Marty drove the Acura RLX sedan through Alexandria and followed the directions that the GPS gave them. He was impressed when he pulled up to the Colonial home with the large gates. Rory told him to pull into the driveway. He got out of the car and walked around to help her out. Hand in hand they walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Immediately Adélaïde opened the door and pulled Rory into a warm embrace. She smiled at Marty and gave him a kiss on each cheek in the European style. She ushered them into the front parlor and had them sit down.

"Ma chère fille, you look radiant. How are you feeling?" Adélaïde asked as she bustled around the parlor bringing the tray she had prepared to the coffee table in front of the couch where Marty and Rory had sat.

"Maman, I feel good," she hesitated to answer the question.

Marty looked at her and cleared his throat.

Adélaïde looked at Marty and then back at Rory and smiled saying, "I think Martin does not agree with you, am I right?"

Marty chuckled and answered, "Rory tell her what's been going on."

"Well my blood pressure was slightly high, so they are monitoring it daily. Each week I must go in for the test, but look the baby is growing nicely."

She handed the latest photo of her ultrasound to Adélaïde

"Oh, he is so beautiful, look at those fingers and he is sucking his thumb. You will need to follow the doctor's orders," she told her.

"I am, Marty's sister happens to be the PA in my doctor's office and a midwife and she has a portable blood pressure machine available for me to use daily. I also signed up to take a yoga class designed for women in the second trimester."

"Good, good, and you Martin. How are things with you?"

"Busy Adélaïde, but good," he answered taking a sip of the drink she had poured for him.

"Nick should be home shortly. So, tell me Rory, are you and your grandmother speaking?"

"You mean Grandma Emily? Yes, we started to last week. It was my father and Grandma Francine who help settle the peace. It will be a long time before we will have a close relationship again, but I hope by the time the baby is born we will have most of our differences settled."

"Good, family is important, Ma chère. Nick and I will always be here for you and L'Enfant. But you must not break ties with your mother's mother. Vous comprenez?"

"Yes, but Maman it is complicated," Rory said to her.

"Ma chère, every relationship between a mother and her child is complicated. I know. I understand the pain that Emily is going through. You know, I have lost a child too."

Rory began to cry and quickly excused herself from the room and went to the small half bathroom that was off the kitchen.

Marty sat there feeling very uncomfortable, he excused himself and walked down the hall where Rory went. He heard her crying and knocked at the door.

"Ror, Princess. It's me, open up."

He heard the door latch open and he walked in. He pulled her into his arms and held her.

"Babe, It's ok. It will be ok. I am here, and I am not leaving you."

"I know, but first it was Logan, then my grandfather, my mother, and Ace. How will I go on without them? I feel that it is useless, I am useless."

"Lorelai Leah Gilmore Hayden, you are not useless. You will go on because you have this child growing inside of you. You are the strongest woman I know, and I love you, I have loved you for 10 years. We will get through this and this little boy will have so many people who will love him and help him. Just like your mother had Stars Hollow and Luke, you have me, Jess, Finn, Colin, Steph, and yes even Logan to help you."

Rory put her head on Marty's chest and held on to him. He kissed her head and cheek and then tenderly kissed her lips. He then wiped the tears from her face tenderly with his thumb.

Smirking at her he whispered, "Damn hormones."

This got her laughing and then he turned on the water for her to wash her face. Handing her the guest towel he said, "Ready?"

She nodded, and they walked out of the bathroom back into the parlor. Nick was there with Adélaïde, he stood when he saw them walk into the room. He quickly shook Marty's hand and then pulled Rory into a hug. This started her crying all over again, reminding her of the way Ace' would embrace her.

"Rory, Ma chère fille, why the tears?" he asked her as he pulled her chin up and looked at her.

"I don't know, hormones?"

He started to laugh and taking her hand he kissed it.

"It will be ok. You have Marty here to take care of you and you have us. We are your family now."

"Nick, Adélaïde, as you know Marty asked me to marry him and I said yes," Rory stammered.

"It is ok child. You and Marty are together, and you wonder if we approve, non?" Nick said to them.

"Yes, I asked her to marry me. I want to help her raise her son. In fact, I would like to adopt him. Before you say anything, I want you to understand I know what it is like to be adopted. My birth father was my uncle. He was killed in the Gulf War. My mother married his brother when I was less than a year old. They always told me about him, but my adopted father is the man who made me who I am today. And I want to be that man in your grandson's life."

Adélaïde sat there with tears coming down her face. NIck put his arm around her and looked at Marty and Rory. He whispered in French into Adélaïde ear and she nodded. They both stood up and walked over to the young couple.

Nick put out his hand to Marty and grasped it between his two hands, "This makes us both very happy. Thank you, and welcome to our family."

Adélaïde then embraced him. They then embraced Rory. Rory continued to cry but this time she felt better. She knew that they have accepted her choice and understood how much she loved her son and how much she loves Marty.

Nicolai was not surprised at their announcement. In fact, when he saw the two of them together at the memorial he felt that there was something special between them. He was relieved to know that Marty had known her for a long time and was helping her go through the pregnancy. He was committed to her and her child.

After dinner, Marty and Nicolai went into his study to talk while Adélaïde and Rory went into the family room where Adélaïde had all her knitting. She had already made the baby a sweater, hat, bootie set. She had crocheted the baby a blanket and was knitting the baby a Christening Layette set in white lace. Rory was in awe and so thankful for these beautiful handmade gifts. She hugged Maman again. The two of them went looking through Adélaïde's patterns picking out other sweaters that she would like her to make the baby.

In the study, Nicolai poured them both a glass of bourbon and gave Marty a cigar. They sat back and talked. Nicolai was interested in Marty's background and was asking him questions about his family. He was pleased to find out that Marty had a sister and a brother which would mean that their grandchild would have family around. He asked Marty if he wanted to have other children with Rory and Marty told him that they talked about it. Marty told Nick how he had met Rory their freshman year at Yale, leaving out the part of him being asleep naked in front of her dorm. How they had been friends until she began her relationship with Logan Huntzberger. He then explained how they got together the day she found out about Ace's death.

When Nick heard the name Huntzberger, he sat up straight in his chair. Marty noticed and slowly brought the conversation back to it.

"Nick, I have to ask you, we found out that Ace was approached by the HPG group, specifically Mitchum Huntzberger. Did Ace talk to you about it?" Marty asked him then taking a sip of his bourbon.

"Martin, why do you ask?"

"Mitchum is bothering Rory, trying to have Logan rekindle their old relationship."

"I see. How does Rory feel about that?" he asked him.

"It has upset her, she is having nightmares and I think this could be causing her blood pressure problems. We are watching what she eats, and she has been exercising but it seems that whenever he confronts her, the nightmares happen, and her blood pressure rises."

"Ace asked me to check on that family. He had a bad feeling about Mr. Huntzberger, I was glad when he took the job with CBS. When he was killed in France, he had scheduled a meeting with Mr. Huntzberger. He was planning on telling him that he was not interested in becoming a part of his company and to no longer contact him."

"Do you know if he had that meeting with him?" Marty asked.

"No, I don't. I spoke to him the day he arrived, and he told me that he had set up the appointment in Nice."

"Do you think he was targeted or murdered?" Marty asked him with concern in his voice.

"No, I had Interpol check things out, unfortunately, my son was a victim of the craziness of this world," Nick said sadly drinking the rest of the bourbon in his glass before pouring himself some more.

"I am truly sorry, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about your son. I promise to help raise your son so that he will not forget who his father was. We also want you both to play an active part in his life and the life of any children we have together," Marty told him.

"That means a lot to both of us. Now has Rory made peace with Emily?"

"Let's say it is a work in progress. Luke, Christopher, and Mrs. Hayden are trying. I never saw Rory so angry before. I met Emily and Richard a few times when we were in college, and Emily adored Rory. I guess losing both her husband and her daughter was too much for her," Marty told him.

The men continued talking and the subject quickly changed to politics and law. Nicolai liked Marty, he was a self-made man and he could tell he was in love with Rory. He gave him his blessings and told Marty that he would also tell Rory this when they leave. Soon Rory knocked at the door asking the men if they wanted some coffee and French pastry that Adélaïde had made. They left the study and walked back into the parlor and sat together while Rory passed out the coffee and tea. Rory tried to hide a yawn, when Marty finally said, "I think we should call it a night."

"We will take you both to dinner tomorrow. I have spoken to Finn and he will join us," Nick told them.

"Rory, could we go shopping tomorrow for things you will need for the baby?" Adélaïde asked her.

"Of course, I would enjoy spending time with you," Rory smiled then stood up. She gave her Maman a hug and a kiss. Adélaïde hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. She then hugged and kissed Marty on the cheek. Nick hugged and kissed Rory and then shook hands with Marty.

The two of them left the house and returned to Finn's car. Rory closed her eyes as they drove back to the hotel. When they returned to the suite, Finn was there working on his computer at the large dining room table.

"Hi, how did it go?" Finn asked.

"Yes, it went well. They have accepted us together and she has made the baby so many things," Rory told Finn.

"Yes, in fact, Nick and I had a nice talk in the library," Marty said sitting down beside Finn at the table.

"Finn, Marty, I hope you don't mind, I am going to get ready for bed. I am exhausted," she said.

She hugged Finn goodnight and then kissed Marty.

"Do you want me to come in with you? Are you ok?" Marty asked with concern in his voice.

"No, I'm fine, you stay and talk with Finn." She then turned and walked into the guest bedroom and closed the door.

Once the door was closed, Finn looked at Marty and asked him, "Did everything go ok?"

"Well, she had a breakdown. We were there with Adélaïde talking when she asked her questions about her grandmother. Adélaïde mentioned how she understood the loss that Emily was dealing with since she too lost her child. At that point, Rory started to cry and left the room. She ran into the bathroom. I followed, and she let me in. She was saying she didn't know how she would go on. For the first time ever, I spoke to her sternly and she listened. She hugged me and then when we came out Nick was there. He embraced her and then told her it would be ok. He told her she had me to take care of them, it was then that we told them that we were getting married and I wanted to adopt the baby.'

"Wow, poor kitten. They are ok with all this?"

"Yes, we talked and he gave me his blessings. He asked me questions about my upbringing and Nick was happy when I told them we both wanted them to be an active part of our lives."

"Mate that is great. They are wonderful people. I have met them many times and in fact, I am having lunch with Nick tomorrow."

"Yes, in fact, Nick invited us to dinner with him tomorrow and he is including you. However, he told me something interesting. The meeting that Ace had in France when he was killed was a meeting with Mitchum Huntzberger."

"That is interesting mate, why don't you share that information with Colin and Inspector Dugrey and I will call my P.I. and have him see what he can find out," Finn told him.

Marty got up and walked to a different part of the suite and called Colin. When he got off the phone he then called Tristan. Tristan had just returned to the country and happen to be in DC. He suggested that they meet tomorrow afternoon. Marty suggested they meet for lunch while Finn was meeting with Nick Gerrard. When he got off the phone he told Finn about the lunch meeting with Tristan.

"Do you think we should let Liam know that it was Mitchum who Ace was meeting, or should we wait until we find out more information," Marty asked Finn.

"I think we should wait, Mate. In fact, I think we could use Robert's company to investigate HPG, he owns a Financial Company and he is a Financial analyst."

"That's not a bad idea. Ok after we both meet tomorrow we can discuss it. I think I will go to bed too and check on Rory. I am worried about her," Marty said.

"Ok, Goodnight mate." And Marty went into the bedroom.

Rory had changed into a pink nightshirt with shorts. She looked adorable to him with her baby belly poking out. He crawled onto the bed and kissed her.

"Do you know how sexy you look right now to me?" he asked her as he pushed her shirt up and kissed her belly.

"Shh, Finn is out in the other room. He can hear us," she whispered.

He continued to kiss her, slowly kissing his way up her belly playing with her breast as he made it up to her neck and shoulder. She moaned when he pressed his mouth to her lips and slipped her shorts off her. She quickly unzipped his pants and pulled them off him. She then sat up and pulled his shirt off along with hers.

"Come here," he said.

Sitting on the edge of the bed he had her straddle his lap. She lowered herself on him and rode him. Keeping his lips on hers, so that she wouldn't make any noise, they picked up their pace. She felt the heat buildup inside of her and began to breathe heavy. His hand continued to massage her breast. Leaning forward she pushed him on his back and placed her right breast in his mouth. As he began to suck it, she felt her orgasm build. She went to moan but he pulled her face into his neck. Kissing his neck, she screamed but she muffled the sound into his neck. He pushed himself one last time and she felt him throb. Putting one hand on the back of her head he pulled her forward into a deep kiss. She collapsed on his chest and laid there until their breathing became normal. She slowly moved off him and curled into his arms. Neither bothered to dress. He pulled the sheet over them and they both went to sleep.

Back in New York City, Gabby was going on her second date with Liam. This time he was taking her to The Stanton Social on the lower east side. It was a Tapas Restaurant and the Happy Hour begins at 5 pm. He picked her up at 6 and they took an UBER to the restaurant. He had reserved a table upstairs in the bar area for them. She was in awe when she walked in. The hostess brought them to their table and immediately a server came over to take their drink orders. Handing them the menu, the server explained the food was designed to be shared and they could order as many different plates as they wanted, and they would bring them out, in stages. Feeling brave Gabby ordered a Strawberry Fields cocktail and Liam ordered his Bourbon neat. They then looked through the menu and ordered the crispy hard-shell Fish taco, The Korean Taco, the Old School Meatball, the Pastrami Reuben and the Herb Dusted House Fries. They sat there talking and enjoying their drinks.

"How was your week?" Liam asked Gabby.

"Busy, I haven't seen Rory or Marty this week at all. They are in Alexandra VA, this weekend. Marty said that Rory wanted to see Ace's parents and talk to them in person about their engagement."

"I saw her on Monday and she almost passed out on us again," he said.

"Do you know what brought it on?" she asked with concern in her voice.

Liam wasn't sure how much Gabby knew about Rory's situation and her prior involvement with Logan, so he said, "Logan and I went to talk to her about some information she asked for. I am not sure what brought it on. She had said she gave blood that morning and had her blood pressure taken, I gave her a protein bar and she recovered. It might have been low blood sugar," he said.

"Oh, I am glad she wasn't alone when that had happened. She needs to eat. I will have to talk to her when she comes into the office on Monday."

"Is everything ok with the pregnancy?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Well her blood pressure is an issue, so we are watching to make sure she doesn't get preeclampsia."

Their first set of tapas arrived, the Old-fashioned meatball and the Hard-Shell Fish Taco. They began eating and she started to ask him questions about his job. Slowly the conversation began to get personal.

"You told me that your boyfriend was killed in Hawaii," Liam said to her.

"Yes, it was hard when he died. I felt so lonely after that, I knew I had to leave. I understand how Rory must have felt."

"Yes, me too. I lost my fiancé in a car accident. It took me a long time to work through it. Moving here and meeting you has helped."

Gabby reached across the table and took his hand in hers. She smiled at him. Leaning across the table she kissed him on the lips. He gazed into her eyes and then kissed her again. Motioning the waitress to bring him the bill.. Receiving it he paid and took her hand and they left the restaurant. They walked out of the restaurant and walked down the streets.

"How about I hail a taxi and we go back to our building. We can go upstairs to the terrace," he suggested.

Liam walked out to the curb and put up his hand. Within minutes a taxi stopped. They got in and Liam gave them their address. As they got out of the cab, they walked hand and hand into the lobby.

"The moon is so beautiful tonight, let's walk along the Esplanade," Gabby suggested.

Taking her hand, they walked through the lobby and out the private entrance that took them through the garden to the Esplanade.

"So, you haven't told me much about your family. How is your dad doing?" Liam asked.

"Oh, he is recovering nicely. My brother Mitch is with him now and I think he will be going home tomorrow."

"Oh, I didn't realize that you had two brothers," Liam said.

"Yes, two big brothers, who check out everybody I have ever dated."

"Well I guess I am ok since Marty knows me," Liam said.

"Don't count on that, you still have to get Mitch's approval and of course my dad's," she teased.

He pulled her into his arms. 

"What about you? Do I have your approval?"

She leaned up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him towards her she whispered yes and kissed him. Kissing her back, he licks her bottom lip, she tastes like the strawberry drink she had at dinner. They broke apart and she put her head on his chest.

"I wanted to do that to you since the first time I saw you at Rory's birthday party," she admits to Liam.

He smiles and says, "I have to confess I have wanted to kiss you too. I thought that you might think I am too old for you."

"No, you're only a few years older than Marty, so no."

They held hands and continued to walk along the Esplanade. Stopping a few more times for some stolen kisses they returned to their building. She was leaning her head on his arm they walked together into the elevator. They continued to kiss until the elevator pinged alerting them that they were up to their floor. Hand and hand, he walked her to her apartment.

"Well goodnight," she said to him and leaned up and kissed him.

He put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her into him. They kissed again this time a little deeper with more passion.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked her.

"Yes, call me," she said. She turned and put the key in her door and opened it. They kissed one more time and she walked in. Leaning against the door, she so wished she had a girlfriend her that she could talk too. Maybe tomorrow she will call Rory and tell her. Gabby seems to float into her bedroom and got ready for bed. Laying in her bed she began to wonder what it would be like to sleep with Liam. Closing her eyes, she dreamed of making love to him.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62**

Rory, Finn, and Marty all left the suite around eleven o'clock the next morning. Using the car that Finn had made available for him, Marty dropped off Rory at Gerrard's home before he headed to Hank's Oyster Bar to meet Tristan. Finn had his driver take him to Brabo, Nick's favorite place to eat.

Finn entered the restaurant and found Nick sitting in a corner booth. Nick stood up and shook Finn's hand. He was glad to see the young Australian. He had met his family many times in the past and was pleasantly surprised when Ace had told him that he had become friends. The server came over and asked him what he would like to drink. Finn ordered a Belgian Beer that was the same as the one that Nick had ordered.

"Nick It is so good to see you again. We never had a chance to talk when we saw each other last month in Hartford," Finn said beginning the conversation.

"No, we hadn't, it was how do I say it, emotional for everyone," Nick replied.

"Yes, it was. So, what would you recommend?" Finn asked trying to delay the questions he knew he needed to ask.

"I have already taken the liberty of ordering the Blue Bay Mussels for us, but everything is delicious on the menu."

The server approached with the appetizer of Blue Bay Mussels and Finn ordered the Lamb burger with the Belgian Fries, while Nick ordered the Watermelon Feta salad and Braised and Grilled Octopus. As they enjoyed their appetizer and beer the two men talked about Finn's business and what changes he has made. By the time their entree arrived the topic got to Rory.

"Finn, how is Rory really doing? I am very worried about her. She was very emotional yesterday at dinner."

"Yes, Marty told me. She and I spoke this past week, both Marty and Jess were there. She called me to find out about Ace. She recently became aware of the immense wealth she has inherited. For Rory, this is not something she is used to or wants. As she has said many times, what good is all this if I don't have my mother or Ace."

"Aaah the inheritance. Well, Ace spoke to me when he realized that she was the one. He was struggling with some bad choices he had made and wanted to make sure that Rory was his partner and protected. He always felt a need to protect her. It was when he told me that she was the woman he wanted to marry. He changed his will when we both decided that he no longer needed to leave us anything since he would outlive us…. but"

Finn looked down into his beer trying to decide how he could ask Nick the next question. Finn took a drink and then looked up at the elderly gentleman.

"Nick, those bad choices he made, were they before he met Rory?" Finn asked him.

"Yes, he had gotten himself involved with a woman whose family had a very questionable reputation. It wasn't until the father and son were arrested by Interpol that the truth came out. Unfortunately, it had tentacles that involved many reputable companies. At first the woman, I thought was a pawn, but she was just as manipulative and deceitful."

"You said was, is she also in jail?"

"No, she died last October around the same time Rory's mother passed away. It wasn't until March that Ace' found out. He received letters. He was investigating those and other information when he ..."

At that point, Nick could not finish his sentence. He took a drink from his glass and motioned the server to bring them two more beers. As they finished their meal, the men sat and continued to talk. Nick told Finn, without mentioning her name, how Ace had met her and was seduced by her. He also told him how Ace was conflicted about the job offer from the Huntzberger Publishing Company.

"Ace loved his job as a reporter. He loved the thrill of following the story and traveling. When he met Rory, he found someone to share the interest. She understood him and challenged him, but never complained when he wasn't around. But I am concerned for her now. Marty told me that Mitchum Huntzberger wants his son, to rekindle his relationship with Rory. Finn do you think Marty will be good for Rory and the child?"

"I have known Marty as long as I have known Rory. At Yale Rory and Marty were close, at first, we all thought they were dating but she was involved with someone at home, then she met us."

"Us?"

"Yes, Colin, Logan, and myself. Colin literally bumped into Marty at a coffee cart and Rory told us off. The fire she had, we never had been chewed out by our rude behavior by anyone. It was then that Logan became interested, as you know Rory is intelligent, she would argue and challenge Logan and then they fell in love. Marty slowly disappeared from her life. He began to date other people and eventually she and Logan were exclusive. Well she was faithful I can't say Logan was. At her graduation, Logan proposed to Rory, she turned him down. As she tells me, she wasn't ready, she wanted a career and didn't want to be defined by this career because she was married to him. So, she left and took a job in journalism. When Marty graduated he went to Harvard, that's when he and Colin became close. Rory and Marty never saw each other again until the day that she found out Ace had died. Steph called Colin and he wasn't at the office, so she spoke to Marty. Marty dropped everything to help her and us. Marty is a kind man, a brilliant lawyer, he is devoted, intelligent, and in love with Rory. Yes, I think that this will be good for her. With Ace's death and finding out about the baby, she was lost. Their love for each other rekindled. They know that I will be there to support them both."

"Finn, you mentioned Logan, is he Mitchum Huntzbergers son?"

"Yes, and that brings me to my question, why would Mitchum now be trying to have Rory join his company."

"I don't know, but what I know is that he became involved with the Fontane family, his company was one that the tentacles reached out and caused them some significant financial problems.'

Finn nodded his head. Things began to become clear, Odette was dead, but who was blackmailing Ace? She died in October, was she pregnant and if so whose child was it really?

The two men got up and Nick hugged Finn. Finn reminded Nick that he was to join them for dinner that evening at seven. Finn sent a message to his driver and the two men left. In the car heading to the next meeting he had planned at a new hotel, Finn called Logan.

"Finn, where are you? I stopped by the apartment, but Rose said you went out of town for business."

"I am in Alexandria Va. I had to visit some of our new hotels here and decided to visit an old friend of the family. I called to find out, anything more about Odette."

"No, I haven't before I talk to my father, I was going to go to France myself and see if I can find her."

"Well don't bother Mate, she's dead."

"Dead? How did you find this out?"

"The family friend was the ambassador of France, he knew her and the family. She died last October."

"So, if she has been dead since last October, who was Ace meeting with and what does my father have to do with it?" Logan asked Finn.

"I don't know Mate. Look I am arriving at my hotel for my next meeting. Why don't we talk when I get home next week? Oh, did you get the information about the Yale Alumni and LDB event next weekend?"

"Yes, I did. Are you going?"

"Well I think so, and Rory and Marty will be going too. Will you be ok with that?" Finn asked.

"Yes, I must accept it, if I want her to still be part of my life."

"Okay, talk to you soon," Finn ended his call and exited his car entering the newest hotel that the Morgan Company just acquired.

Tristan was waiting for Marty to arrive at noon at Hank's Oyster Bar. Since it was a beautiful fall Saturday afternoon, Tristan got a corner table outside under an umbrella. This gave them some privacy to talk and the tables were not close. The server led Marty to the table and he ordered a Flying Dog, a stout beer, the two men shook hands and sat down. The server came back with his drink and the two men ordered the large Seafood platter between the two of them.

"So how was your trip to the Caymans," Marty said to Tristan as he took a sip of his beer.

"Well, it was interesting to say the least. The numbered accounts led us to holdings that belonged to HPG that had been frozen since Interpol arrested the Fontane family members," Tristan replied.

"So, that could explain what Logan found out, but what does this have to do with Rory?"

"That I am trying to figure out. As Rory probably told you I went to the Gala in Hartford. My family is from there and Rory and I attended high school there. As you may know, I had a crush on her back then and I must admit she is a hard person to forget."

"Yes, I agree to that," he thinks about their night together and smiles knowing that she has committed herself to him.

"Well, while we were dancing, Mitchum cut in. I hesitated at first but decided to see what would happen. It didn't take long before she pushed herself away and took off. She ran to the lady's room, I found out later and she called her father to rescue her. Anyways we talked for a while, I wanted to know what her connection was with the Huntzbergers."

"Yes, well did she tell you how she almost married Logan? Now that Logan is back in her life. She has finally made him understand that they are just friends, I hope," he muttered.

"Marty, I think Mitchum is desperate enough to try to force them together, especially now that she has money. When I first met Rory, she was a transfer student from Stars Hollow. Chilton is an expensive private school, but Rory showed them, she was tough, a fighter, an outsider that became accepted and respected without money. Her grandparents Hayden are very wealthy old money along with the Gilmores. I never knew she was a Hayden until the night of the Gala. I think Mitchum and Shira found out and that is what they are after, her money to save the company."

"Hmm, explains the job offers. So what else did you find out," Marty asked Tristan as their order came out.

"In one of the accounts, there was an ISP address. I haven't been able to have my tech guys hack it yet, but we plan to." Tristan answered.

"Tristan, can I ask you a personal question? It seems that you are now taking a more personal interest in this case than you did before," Marty stated looking at him.

"I guess I am. Marty, I know that you and Rory are together, and I am happy for you both. But I must confess, I have always had a soft spot for her. She's the only girl who did not return my advances."

"I understand that. It took us 10 years to get here," Marty confessed.

"But just so you know, I am in a serious relationship now. She is from DC and works for the Pentagon," Tristan told Marty.

"Well we will have to get together sometime," Marty told him. They concluded their lunch meeting and Tristan told Marty he should be back in New York in two weeks. If the tech found out anything more he would contact him. He suggested that he should make sure that Rory is not alone when she is with the Huntzbergers. The two men shook hands and said goodbye.

Getting in his car, Marty hooked his phone up to the Bluetooth app and contacted Colin to let him know what he found out He also asked him to contact Jess and see if he and Steph could work together to finish translating the other two notebooks that still needed to be translated. He wondered if there was something on Ace's computer. He headed towards Gerrard's home to pick up Rory. It was now two o 'clock, and he hoped she would be ready to return to the suite and rest. He was concerned about her blood pressure. She did sleep last night without nightmares, but she was very restless.

He pulled into the driveway right behind Nick. The two men exited their car and walked into the house together. Rory and Adélaïde were sitting in the sunroom talking. Adélaïde was teaching Rory how to knit a baby blanket. Marty grinned as he watched his fiancé concentrate with her tongue slightly sticking out while she knitted. He quietly took out his phone and took a picture of her. She looked up at the two men.

"What do you think you are doing, Mister," she glared with a smirk at Marty.

"I am taking a picture of you knitting. Something I never thought I would see you do."

"Well I want you to know that my mother once was involved in a Knit a thon to help raise money for the Muddy River Bridge in Stars Hollow and I sponsored her," she told him proudly.

He walked over to her and kissed her cheek.

"Babe, what are you making?" He looked at the blue and white yarn that was in a ball by her feet. He also saw a bag full of more yarn.

"Well, Maman was showing me how to knit. I had done this before when I was younger, and it is coming back to me. I am making the baby a blanket."

"Well it is going to be beautiful," he told her," but I think we need to go and rest before dinner tonight."

Smiling up at him she nodded. Collecting her things, she thanked Adélaïde. She kissed both Nick and Adélaïde goodbye and they walked out to the car, telling them that they would meet them for dinner at seven at the restaurant in Finn's Hotel where they were staying. As Marty was helping her carrying the packages into the car, he looked at her with surprise.

"What did you buy? I know you like to shop, but Rory do we need all these items?"

"Yes, Maman wanted to make sure we were prepared when the baby is born. As soon as we have our new place she will be shipping up the crib, changing table and bassinet she also purchased. Marty, I couldn't say no. She wants to be in this child's life."

Tears began to well up in Rory's eyes, he reached across the console in the car and took her hand. He kissed it gently.

"It's ok, I understand. You do realize you will be having a baby shower. I guess we better find that apartment as soon as we return."

The doorman helped them bring the packages up to their suite and they placed them in the room that they were using. She began to pull out the packages showing Marty everything that Adélaïde had purchased for the baby. Marty was touched when he saw the items and the beautiful handmade sweater and blanket. He pulled Rory into his arms and they hugged.

"Ok, go rest, I have some paperwork to do, that Colin sent me to look over."

"Oh, Marty how did your meeting go with Tristan?" she asked him as she held onto his hand.

"Interesting, it seems that the finances for HPG are frozen causing a problem with cash flow. Tristan thinks that Mitchum recently realized that you were a Hayden thinking that if you and Logan were to marry your money would be available to help the company."

Rory shook her head, realizing it all made sense to her now. She kissed Marty once more.

"You sure you don't want to join me?" she asked huskily.

"Don't tempt me Princess. But if I finish this paperwork I promise I will join you."

They kissed each other one more time and he walked out of the room. She climbed into the bed and it wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Finn had insisted that Nick and Adélaïde have dinner at one of his restaurants. They sat indoors at a private table that Finn had reserved for them in the back. The restaurant was very elegant, and the five-people sat and enjoyed their dinner, conversation, and drinks. When dinner was over they all hugged and said goodbye. That is when Rory decided to invite them to Stars Hollow and Hartford for Thanksgiving. Last year it was a difficult Thanksgiving. This year she decided to enlist the help of Luke and Sookie and have a big Thanksgiving either at Hartford or Stars Hollow.

"Maman, Papa, I would like you to come up to Hartford for Thanksgiving this year. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I am going to host it."

"Rory, we would love to come," Adélaïde said and embraced her.

"Good, it is settled. I will keep knitting the squares on my blanket and see you both soon. I love you," Rory said as she hugged Adélaïde and Nick.

Finn and Marty both gave them a hug, and they left the dining room. Returning to their suite, Marty looked at Rory.

"So, you are hosting Thanksgiving? Are we invited," he teased.

Slapping him on the arm, she looked at Finn and Marty, "Of course you are invited. Marty, you are hosting it with me, it will be our first dinner party and I need Finn. I am going to call Luke and Sookie and see if we can have it at the Inn. I want to invite, your parents and brother and his girlfriend, Marty. Then we will have Finn and Rosemary, Jess, Cindy, Colin, Steph, Gabby, Liam, Logan…. hmm. Hey Finn. Do you remember Juliet?"

"From Yale? Skinny girl, who never ate, married Seth, Why?" Finn replied as the elevator pinged to indicate their floor. Getting off they walked to their suite.

"Wait she was married to Seth? She didn't say anything about being married. She is our yoga instructor."

"Oh, they divorced a while ago, why?"

"Well, maybe I will invite her along with my father, grandmother Francine, Gigi, Grandma Emily, Dan and Brie. Oh, I better go start my list and call Luke."

The two men looked at her with a smile on their faces. This was the happiest they had seen Rory in a long time.

"Well Mate, I think we better sit and have a drink well she makes her lists. You know what that will be like."

"You know Finn, it has been a long time since I have seen her make a list. I completely forgot about that. I guess this is a good thing."

"Yes, it is. Cheers." Finn and Marty clinked their glasses and sat back and turned on the football game.

Rory sat down and began her list for Thanksgiving. She then called Luke and asked him if he thinks that he would be up for the task.

"Rory, I think that would be a good idea. Why don't you call Sookie, and see what she thinks? Who do you have on your list?"

Rory read off the list to Luke and he suggested to add Zach, Lane, Mrs. Kim and the boys, along with Miss Patty, Babette and Morey. He asked if she could also include Liz, TJ, and Doula. She told him it was a great idea and wondered if they would have room for Ace's parents at the Inn and Marty's parents.

She would talk to Marty about having Gabby and Rory stay with them along with Brie and Dan. She walked out of the bedroom and sat on the couch beside Marty. She took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"So, are you finished with the list?" he asked.

"Well Luke thinks it is a good idea, he gave me a few more suggestions. So, when we get back I will call Sookie and see what she says and if we can have some people stay at the Inn, like Ace's Parents and your parents."

"Ok," Marty said.

"What, you don't think this is a good idea? It's just that last year, Thanksgiving wasn't celebrated, my mom died, Grandmother Emily went to Nantucket, Luke was all alone, and I was in Europe. Now I have a reason to celebrate. I have you, Finn, Jess, Colin, Steph. I want to start a tradition, you're my family now." As she told him this tear began to well up in her eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her.

"I think it's a good idea," Marty whispered.

Finn sat there and watched the exchange. But he wondered what was really making Marty hesitate about this gathering.

The next morning, the three of them packed and got ready to return to New York. Finn had the driver pick them up at 11:00. As they were waiting for the car, Rory noticed that she had missed a call yesterday from Gabby. She quickly called her.

"Gabby, is everything alright? I am sorry I missed your call," Rory asked her when she heard Gabby's voice.

Gabby happened to be sitting on the couch with Liam when she got Rory's call.

"No everything is fine. I just wanted to check in with you and see how you were feeling."

Liam looked at her with a smile on his face. He got up and walked across the room and poured them another cup of coffee. He was wearing his sweatpants and t-shirt. The two of them had run that morning on the waterway. They had been spending all their free time together and when he found out that she enjoyed running, they decided to run together.

"When are you getting home?" Gabby asked her.

"We are at the airport now getting on the plane," Rory said.

"Ok, we will stop by later, Bye."

She closed her phone and looked at it. Marty looked up at her and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

"No, Gabby said that they will stop by later."

Marty looked at her and smiled as they buckled their seatbelts and relaxed in their seats as the plane took off. Rory slept the short ride home. During the flight, Marty and Finn discussed what they learned about Odette and the HPG. Rory never opened Ace's computer and it was still with her luggage. She had completely forgotten about it. Finn suggested that maybe this week they should all sit down together and go through it. He was concerned what they might find on there and they did not want her to look at it alone.

Marty woke her up as they began to make their descent. She smiled at them and when they landed they piled everything into his car. Finn dropped Marty and Rory off at their apartment. When Finn arrived at Rosemary's apartment he found a note saying that she was taking a job in London for a while and wasn't sure when she was returning. He looked at it and threw it on the table. He then picked up the phone and called Colin.

"Hey, how was your trip?" Colin asked him.

"It was good, Ace's father was helpful, and Marty met with Tristan. I think there is information on Ace's computer and we will need to check it out. By the way, do you know if Steph has spoken to Rosemary at all?"

"Just a minute, Steph just walked into the room and you can talk to her," Colin said.

"Hey, Finn, how did things go this weekend? Rory ok?"

"Yes, things went great, I am sure she will call you. Have you spoken to Rose lately? She left me a note, and said she took a job in London and wasn't sure when she was returning."

"She what? No, I haven't heard from her at all. I haven't seen her since you were at the Hamptons on Rory's Birthday. Did you have any idea?" Steph asked him.

"No, not at all. So, I guess she left me to close this apartment. You know Steph this isn't the first time she has done this. I'm not taking her back this time. "No, you shouldn't Finn. Are you going to be ok? Why don't you come over and you and Colin can talk?"

"Tell Colin, I might be over later," Finn hung up his phone and went into his room. He took out his suitcases and began to pack his clothes. He was going to move back to his apartment at 400 W 63rd St.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63**

Marty walked into the bedroom where Rory was emptying the suitcase and sorting their clothes to wash. She had just hung up their dry cleaning. He walked behind her and put his arms around her.

"What time is Gabby coming over, did she say?" Marty asked.

"I don't know, why?" She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at Marty.

"Well, I was wondering if we had time to…"

She slapped him on the chest, "You are terrible."

He just pulled her into his arms kissing her neck and her ear when the buzzer on his apartment went off. She started laughing and pulled herself away and went to the door leaving him in the bedroom.

She opened the door and hugged Gabby and Liam. Liam had a pizza in his hands and Gabby was carrying a take-out bag with an assortment of Chinese food.

"We figured you could use some food," Gabby said.

"Hello Sis, you do have impeccable timing," he told her as he came and took the food from both Liam and Gabby. He grabbed three beers and a water from the refrigerator and passed them out before he sat down on the couch beside Rory.

"We will finish what we started later," he whispered in her ear.

"So how was your trip?" Gabby asked them.

"It was good, Adélaïde has made the baby some beautiful things, come into the bedroom and I will show you, also I am knitting a Baby Blanket," Rory told her as the two girls walked into the spare bedroom where Marty had put the packages that the Gerrards had bought for the baby.

"So, did you find out anything new, while you were in Alexandria?" Liam asked him.

"Yes, HPG's funds have been frozen. Mitchum had done business with the Gerrards, also Odette is dead. She died in the fall of 2014, so we are still not clear about the blackmail yet, but he was being blackmailed and Mitchum did offer him a job in 2014."

The guys continued to drink their beer and talk.

"Gabby, what's going on with you and Liam?"

"I couldn't wait till you came back. Rory, I like him a lot."

"I can tell."

He took me out to The Stanton Social, it's a tapas restaurant. Then I kissed him."

"You did what? What did he do?"

"I kissed him. He called for the server to bring the bill and got a taxi. We went back to our building but then we walked on the Waterfront. The moon was shining, and he kissed me. It was so different from when I kissed anyone else."

"You kissed? That is wonderful. I am so happy for you."

"You are? Don't tell Marty we kissed though, he will be angry. He thinks of me as a little girl. He punched the first guy that kissed me."

"He did what?" Rory started to laugh.

"Well it wasn't funny at the time, he had come home from college, and he was upset at everything. He was walking out of our house as I was getting out of the car on my first date. He saw Gary kiss me. He walked right over to him and yelled and punched him."

"No, I can't believe Marty did that? I've never ever seen him get angry."

"I can laugh about it now, but I was mortified. Gary never called me again. That's why I have never let him meet the guys I date."

"Don't worry about him and Liam. They are friends. So, have you two?"

"No, but I have dreamt about it. Rory, tell me was it hard to move on after Ace died?"

"Gabby, if I had met anyone else other than Marty I would still be single. But your brother and I well we have a history, and everything fell into place. We were friends for two years first, I needed time to grow up. For us, it was fate that brought us together."

"You do know that I met your brother our first year at Yale, in fact, it was the first month. It did involve a full moon, but not the type you kissed under, "Rory giggled thinking about that morning she walked out into the hallway and saw Marty.

"Your brother had passed out naked in front of my dorm door. We became good friends until I started dating Logan. I never knew how much he liked me. Then fate brought us back together."

"My brother naked in front of your door? Oh, I can't wait till he gives me grief." Gabby started laughing.

"So, what did you do?" Gabby asked her still chuckling.

"I handed him the robe I was wearing. It was short on him. He was much skinnier too." Rory said with a chuckle.

The two girls laughed, and they walked out of the bedroom laughing.

"So, what are you two girls laughing at?" Liam asked as they came out of the bedroom.

"Oh nothing, just how Rory and Marty first met," Gabby said.

"It involved a "Full Moon," Gabby began to laugh hysterically.

"Rory you didn't," Marty looked at her.

"She did, Liam they met in college you know, that right?" Gabby said.

"What's so funny about that?" Liam asked her.

"Well, it's how they met that's funny apparently my brother was passed out in front of her dorm…. naked." Gabby started laughing.

Rory couldn't help laughing which made Marty turn red and start laughing too.

"Yes, he was then referred to by my family as the 'Naked Guy'."

They all burst out laughing.

Marty had set the food out on the table, they took their dishes and sat on the couch and ate their meal talking and enjoying each other's company.

The next morning the two of them slept through the alarm. He woke up when he felt her move from the bed and went into the bathroom.

"What time is it?" he asked her not opening his eyes.

"It is 7:15. I need to get to the studio by 9:30 so I want to stop at the doctor's office around 8:00. Are you still going with me?"

"Yes, let me head into the shower. Is today the day you have to fast for this blood work?" He hollered from the bathroom.

"Yes, and I have the water bottle, so I am drinking it."

She walked into the bathroom and began to apply her makeup and began to curl her hair. She then walked into her closet and pulled out a pair of tan pants and a turquoise tunic top. She added her locket that he gave her and a pair of earrings. He walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

"When I told your sister last night how we met I said that you were skinny back then, but you are not anymore."

He pulled her to him and kissed her. "So, I am not skinny anymore?"

"No not at all," she told him as she ran her fingers up his chest and kissed him on the lips.

He walked into his closet and proceeded to get dressed in his grey suit.

"Other than the doctor's appointment do we have anything else going on this week?" he asked her as he came out tying his necktie.

"I have yoga at 4 on Wednesday and I want to go to Stars Hollow this weekend. It is the Fall Festival and I want to talk to Sookie and Luke."

"Ok, I will clear my schedule for the weekend. We can leave in the afternoon and stay at the townhouse in Hartford, ok?"

"Perfect," she replied as they walked out of their apartment.

Marty and Rory took the elevator to the lobby where the car was waiting to take them to the doctors and then to work. On the ride over they held hands both lost in their thoughts. He picked her hand up and kissed it.

"Are you worried?" he asked her.

"No, the baby is moving a lot and I am feeling better. I am getting a few headaches. I should ask Gabby if I can take anything for them."

They took the elevator to the floor the doctor's office was on. Exiting the elevator. Rory went immediately to sign in. Immediately they were led to the lab where Rory gave a urine sample and her blood was drawn. They then put her in a room.

Gabby walked in. She took one look at her brother and started laughing.

"I still find it hilarious that you were sleeping naked in front of Rory's dorm room, does Mitch know about this?" she laughed and walked over and gave Rory a hug.

"No, and it was a long time ago."

"Oh, ok." she giggled, "Rory, let's get your blood pressure and let's see how everything is going, shall we?"

Gabby took her blood pressure, it was slightly high but still in the safe zone.

"Well, if the labs are ok today then we will see you for the regular visit in two weeks."

She handed Rory the lab request. She kissed her brother on the cheek and whispered, Naked Guy. He scowled at her. Rory started to laugh.

"Now you two have to discuss the birth plan soon. I want you to both think about where you want to have the baby and sign up for the Lamaze classes. Rory, you need to decide on your birth coach." Gabby said as she walked them to reception.

After scheduling her appointment in two weeks, they got into the car and they went to Rockefeller Center. Marty walked her to the elevator and kissed her goodbye.

"I'm sorry. She was asking me how I knew you were the one," she told him as she gently caressed his cheek.

"You told my sister how we met?"

"Yes, and how it was fate that brought us together both times."

He kissed her again and she turned and got into the elevator.

When she got into her office, she sat down and turned on her computer. She waved to Brie who came into the office.

"What are you and Dan doing this weekend, "she asked her.

"Nothing special, why do you have a job for us?"

"How would you like to go to Stars Hollow with Marty and me?" she asked her with a smile on her face.

"That sounds like fun. I will mention it to Dan and then I will let you know."

As Brie walked out of her office, Rory turned on her computer checking on the schedule for today. As she was scrolling through her computer she realized that she needed to call Sookie. Setting up an outline for today's news broadcast, she pulled out her phone and dialed the Dragonfly's number.

"A'llo, Dragonfly Inn this is Michel speaking. How can I assist you?"

"Hello, Michel this is Rory,"

"Oh Rory, how are you? How are you feeling? When are you coming to visit?"

"Well, Michel that is why I am calling. Could you book me two rooms for this weekend, I have friend's coming and I would like them to stay there."

"Of course, for you, I would do anything."

"Thanks, Michel, could you possibly ring the kitchen, so I can speak to Sookie?"

"Why of course,"

"Sookie Belleville," Sookie said as she answered the phone

"Sookie, this is Rory."

"Rory, oh it is so good to hear from you," she giggled, "how can I help you? Are you coming for a visit soon?"

"Yes, we are coming up this weekend. Sookie I want to talk to you about Thanksgiving. I spoke to Luke on the phone and this year I want to host Thanksgiving, and I want it to be at the DragonFly. Do you think you could help me with that? I have so much to be thankful for and this I will hopefully become a tradition."

"Oh Rory, that would be wonderful. Of course, I can help you"

"OK, we can talk about it this weekend. I will call you when we come in," she told her and ended her call.

The rest of her day went quickly. The news was building up with the election, so it kept her busy running fact checks for the upcoming debates.

Monday morning Logan and Finn were meeting to talk about what Finn found out on his trip to Virginia.

"Logan, we found out that the meeting that Ace was having the day he was killed was with your father," Finn told him.

Logan just looked at him in shock.

"Are you sure Finn?"

"Yes, the FBI agent, Dugrey was in the Caymans and found out this information along with the accounts that were in your father's name down there. They were also frozen. We are not sure how Ace received this information, we still have more to translate."

"Does Rory know?" Logan asked him.

"No, and Marty doesn't want her to know if it is all possible."

"Finn, there is something else, I found a letter to Ace. I was setting up my bed and getting rid of his old bed. Under the mattress a letter fell out. It must have been placed there between the mattress and the box spring. It was a letter addressed to Ace from a P. I. he hired telling him he had information on who the child's father is. I sent a copy of the letter to Colin."

"You should meet with Dugrey and give him this information."

"I know but I need to go to London and confront my father. I should be back by Friday. Thanks for being honest with me," Logan said as he shook Finn's hand.

"Of course, Mate, I will talk to you later."

When Finn left, Logan called the airport to have the private jet ready to go in an hour. He called his driver and went to the apartment and packed a bag. He also contacted his uncle and suggested that he meet him in London, so they can discuss a strategy to confront his father.

Rory's phone rang as she was riding the elevator to their apartment. It was Steph.

"Hi girl, what's up?" she asked as she answered the phone.

"Well, I want to know what your schedule looks like this week. I can show you and Marty the apartments on Wednesday after our Yoga class if that works for the two of you."

"That would be perfect," she said as she entered her apartment.

"And I have some more news to tell you," Steph added.

"What, is everything ok?"

"Well not with Finn," she told her.

"What do you mean, Finn was fine yesterday when he brought us home from Virginia. We had a great weekend."

"When he got home, Rosemary left him and took a job in London."

"Really? Were they having problems? They seemed fine a few weeks ago."

"Finn was totally surprised, so he moved back to his apartment on W63rd St. and let her deal with her apartment. He says to remind him not to take her back."

"Poor Finn, hmm well we just need to find him a new girlfriend. By the way, did you know that Juliet was divorced from Seth?" she asked Steph.

"No, I didn't. Well, I guess we need to get the scoop on that. Finn told us that you and Marty are going to the Yale reunion and the LDB dinner. We should all go together."

"That would be fun, Marty suggested we stay in Hartford. We are also going to look for places to have our wedding in New Haven too."

"Oh, have you set a date yet?" Steph asked her. "If you need help, I will be happy to help you again."

"No, we haven't set the date. We need to sit down tonight and seriously talk about that and our birth plan. We haven't decided on that yet either."

"We are also still discussing it. Rory, have you and Marty signed up for the Lamaze classes yet? We should all go together."

"You know that's a good idea. Let's talk about it on Wednesday," Rory suggested.

The girls ended their conversation and she walked into the bedroom to change into her yoga pants and one of Marty's sweatshirts. She pulled out the take-out menus and was debating on what to order when Marty walked into the apartment.

He looked at her curled up on the couch with his Yale sweatshirt on and smiled. He put his messenger bag on the table along with his keys and brought the mail to the counter. He grabbed himself a bottle of beer and sat beside her. He leaned his head back on the couch and yawned.

"Why are you so tired?" she asked him.

"I am not sure, so what do you want for dinner. I will order it."

After dinner, Rory and Marty sat on the couch. The television was on and she had her legs resting on his lap while he gave her a foot massage.

"Marty, I have been thinking about what Gabby said. We need to decide on a birth plan."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I guess I have to write things down, make a list. Decide if we want Gabby to deliver the baby or if I just want the doctor."

Gently lifting her feet, he got up and walked into his office, returning with a pad of paper and a pen. He sat back down and picked up her feet and put them on his lap.

"Do you want to make the list, or do you want to dictate it to me?" he asked her.

"You can continue massaging my feet, Mr. and I will write the list. Thank you Babe," she kissed him as he handed the pad to her.

"So, I am thinking we should have Gabby there, but in case I have trouble the doctor will be on call. In the room, I want you. Babe, should I have Ace's parents there too?"

"Rory, I think that would be great, this will be their grandson."

"I guess I need to talk to your sister more and Steph and see what they are doing. All I know about giving birth is what my mother told me about my birth."

"Well keep the list handy and give Gabby a call and I am sure you two could meet and go over everything."

"Steph called, she wants to know if we want to see some apartments this Wednesday when we are finished with Yoga?"

"What time would that be? 5:00? Why don't you ask her to make it for 6:00 or 6:30 and we can look at them then and give you girls some time to relax after yoga and eat."

"You are wonderful, always thinking about me. I love you," she told him as she sat up and kissed him on the lips.

Putting her head on his shoulder she said, "Steph told me that when Finn got home, Rose was gone, she left and took a job in London."

"Yes, Colin told me. He said that Finn seemed to be ok with it."

"Poor Finn, he seemed so happy this weekend," she said, "Marty, I am ready to go to sleep, do you mind?"

"No, Princess. Come on let's get you to bed. I will do some work and come to bed later."

The week went by quickly. On Wednesday, Steph and Rory had Yoga. They arrived early and were able to talk to Juliet. They found out that she had been married to Seth and had a child now that was almost three years old. She shared custody with him and was not dating anyone. They asked her if she was planning on attending the reunion at Yale. They convinced her to attend and go to the LDB function with them. After Yoga, Steph and Rory grabbed something to eat and met Marty at 350 W 42St. This building was 54 floors and in the center of everything. It was not far from Times Square and Broadway. It offered, babysitting services, a 24-hr. doorman, lap pool, sauna, massage therapist, along with complimentary breakfast. It had a modern fitness center, onsite parking garage, and floor to ceiling windows. The apartment was large and spacious.

The next place was 322 W 57th street and it was a condo. This place appealed to Marty. It had beautiful Nordic ash hardwood floors, oversized windows. The closets were oversized, and it had a gourmet kitchen with top of the line appliances. It also has dual sinks in the bathroom and a soaking tub. Both places had pools, onsite parking and 24-hour valet service, along with a large children's play area.

The last place was in their building. If they stayed in the Caledonia they knew everyone there, it had wonderful service and it would be easy for them to move. Since they were buying, they could remodel the bathroom to the way they liked it. They decided to go home and think about the places. Rory decided she would make a pro/con list for them to help them decide.

On the ride home, Rory asked Marty if he had heard from Finn at all.

"Yes, he called. He is ok and keeping busy. He is meeting with Dugrey this week to go over the information about the Fontanes. He asked me if you had looked at Ace's computer yet."

"No, I haven't, I am not sure I want to."

"Would you like someone else to look through it? Colin, Finn, Jess or me?" he asked her.

"Yes, I think so. Marty, it's too hard for me to look through it. Why don't you take it to the office tomorrow and maybe you and Colin can look through it?"

They returned to their apartment and cuddled together on the couch and watched a movie.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64**

The next day Marty brought Ace's computer with him to his office. He had dropped Rory off that morning at Studio 57. On the elevator, he thought about Rory. She was sleeping better. She seemed to be getting back some energy. The baby was active, but he noticed that she was also practicing some yoga in the morning. When he returned from his run this morning, he found her sitting on her yoga mat in their front room. He was pleased with how happy she was.

When he entered his office, he had asked Rita to let Colin know that he was in and would like to meet with him. A few minutes later she brought in his coffee and a usual breakfast sandwich. As she was setting things up, Colin walked in.

"Good morning Marty, what's up?"

"Thanks, Rita," Marty said as Rita handed him a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee. She shut the door as she left.

Looking over at the door to make sure that no one was around, Marty said, "I brought in Ace's computer. I figured you, and I could go through it. Rory doesn't want to look through it. If we find out anything, we could call Jess, Finn, and Tristan."

"Good idea, let me go back and clear my calendar for this afternoon. How about we meet at 1 pm. We can send out for sandwiches and use the big conference room. Do you want Jess and Finn there when we turn it on?"

"That's a good idea; we would have witnesses if we need them later. I will give Jess, Finn, and Tristan a call and see if they can make it here around one."

"Good, I will go back to my office and finish up those few briefs and talk to you later," Colin took his coffee and sandwich and left Marty to make the phone calls.

Rory was kept busy during the day at the studio. She was enjoying working with both Quentin and Joanie. She was careful to make sure that she ate. It was getting closer to election day, and the two candidates and the election were dominating the news. Rory had met Hillary Clinton when she was working on the Obama campaign and later at many of the correspondent events that the Obama white house held during his term of office. Being brought up by a strong independent woman, she admired Hillary. She got a chance to interview her once and found her both gracious and kind. She was tough, and Rory knew that she needed to learn how to be as strong as she was in front of adversity.

"Hey Lois, you look like you are deep in thought," Dan said to her as he walked in to go over the evening's schedule.

Rory looked at Dan and smiling she replied, "Yes, thinking about this election. I just have a funny feeling that something wrong is going to happen."

"Yes, I have that same feeling too. But we need to report the news, the truth, so we will keep on doing that."

"Let's change the topic, would you and Brie like to stay at the Dragonfly Inn on Saturday night? On Friday evening you can meet us at Marty's home and stay there. It is big, and he has extra bedrooms. I love that place, and I can't wait to show it off.".

"Sounds like a great plan. I am anxious to see where the mysterious, Rory Gilmore grew up."

"Funny Sheppard. I will give you the address tonight before I leave, and we will see you at the house. Liam and Gabby are coming too. It will be a lot of fun."

At 1:00 Jess, Finn, and Tristan joined Colin and Marty in the conference room. Rita had sandwiches and drinks set up for the men when they had walked in. She also had the Keurig ready for the men and five coffee mugs ready for them. Marty was sitting in the conference room with the laptop in front of him when Jess arrived.

"Hey man, so this is the laptop. Is it password protected, or do you have the password?" Jess asked as he walked in.

"I was just checking that out. It is password protected, and I have no idea what it is," Marty confessed to him.

Finn, Tristan, and Colin walked in just as Marty finished his comment.

"Did you think of asking Rory if she knew it?" Tristan asked Marty.

"No, I didn't, she won't even touch the laptop."

"Ok, let me look at it, I have some training in this," Tristan said as he took the laptop and starting to do a sequence of keys on the computer. The other men went and grabbed sandwiches and coffee. They sat down and handed Tristan a cup of coffee. Tristan threw his hands in the air. He was frustrated because he was unable to figure out the password.

Finn picked up his phone and made a call, "Love, it's Finn."

"Hi Finn, how are you doing? Marty told me about Rose. I am sorry about that." Rory said to him.

"Love, that's a ship that sailed, and I'll be honest I am glad it has. But I am calling to ask you if you know the password for Ace's laptop,"

"Oh, are you with Marty and Colin? Tell them it is what he used to call me, but in French."

"Thanks, Kitten. I will take care of it." Finn closed his phone and walked over to the computer.

"Gentleman, may I?" Quickly he typed Mon étoile {My star}. Immediately the laptop opened to the homepage. On the screen, a folder was still open. Finn clicked on it, and there were notes written in French.

"Jess, can you translate this?" he asked him.

"Sure, give me a few minutes." Jess walked over to his messenger bag where he had his French dictionary and his pad and paper. He pulled it out and went to the computer. He began to read the notes, and the other men sat down. Tristan went over to his case and pulled out the SD cards that Marty had given him.

"Jess, when you finish the translation could you put in these two cards? I couldn't open them on my computer but, maybe they will open on this computer," Tristan said as he handed him the SD cards.

"Well, it looks like these were notes on a story he was writing. But there is a video here, let me open that up."

Jess opened the video, and it was a video of Ace meeting with two women. The two women were Shira and Honor Huntzberger. You can hear Shira telling Ace that they needed the money for support for the child Odette had. Ace told them that he was not going to give them the money. He had the DNA information that proves that he was not the father of the child. Suddenly you see a white van barreling towards them. Honor was in the direct path of the van, Ace quickly reacts and pushed Shira out of the way and grabbed Honor. It was then the van hit Ace killing him instantly.

The men sat there stunned watching the video. Finn was the first person to say something.

"Bloody Hell, the Huntzbergers were blackmailing Ace!"

"We can't let Rory see this," Marty said, "This will devastate her."

Colin and Tristan sat there silently. Finally, Jess says, "Well is this enough proof to arrest them?"

"Before we do that, we need to find out who these women were representing, the Fontane's or Huntzbergers and is there a child?" Tristan said.

Tristan pulled out his cellphone and called his office. Now that there was blackmail involved he could reopen the case. Jess then put in the SD cards. One card had the report of the DNA; it proved that the child was not his. However, they still had no idea where the child was or if the child was alive. Tristan asked if he could take the laptop to the FBI headquarters in the city. Afraid that if they handed the computer to the FBI, the information might be erased, Colin and Marty refused. They gave Tristan permission to get the information he needed and download it, but they didn't want it removed. They closed the computer, and he asked Finn to write down the password and put it in the envelope and Colin would lock it up in his safe in his office.

The men sat there and didn't say anything for a while.

Finally, Colin looked at them and said, "We have to tell Logan and Rory."

"I disagree, this might push Rory over the edge. Colin her blood pressure is high already," Marty said.

"Marty, I think if we have Logan, Rory, you, Colin, Finn and myself there with the computer together we can do it," Jess said quietly. "Remember Marty, no secrets, she made us all promise that."

Marty rubbed his hands through his hair and slowly agreed. "Ok, let's wait until after this weekend. Finn are you and Jess going to join us? It's the Autumn Festival in Stars Hollow, and Rory wants us to all go. Colin and Steph are going."

"Ok, this might be a good distraction for us and give Tristan more time to find out if there is a case for this blackmail."

The men all left, Tristan had downloaded the files he needed on the zip drive that he had in his briefcase, leaving Marty and Colin sitting there. Colin pulled out the bottle of scotch.

"I think we need this," he said to Marty as he poured them both a stiff drink.

Rory left the station around four thirty and took the car that Marty had available for her back to their apartment. She had also invited Liam and Gabby to join them this weekend at Stars Hollow. She and Marty would be leaving the city by four on Friday and planned to get to Hartford by 6:00. Gabby and Liam decided that they would meet them at the townhouse. Rory had called the cleaning service that Marty uses to come and make sure that the house was clean and ready for them. She also told them to make up the two extra guest rooms. She called the grocery and had food delivered to the house when the cleaning service was there. Dan and Brie would head out after the news and be there by eight thirty. Rory called her Grandmother Francine to let them know that they would be in Hartford and Stars Hollow that weekend. Francine insisted that they come for dinner on Friday at 7:00. She told them that Marty's sister and a friend might be joining them, and she didn't think they could make it, but Francine insisted. As she listened to Francine talk, she realized she had inherited both grandmother's strong personalities. She finally said yes and then called Gabby.

"Gabby, I am sorry to do this to you and Liam, but on Friday evening we have been invited to my Grandmother Hayden's home for dinner. Any chance you could be in Hartford by six, so we can go over there together?"

"I will talk to Liam and let you know. Rory, I am excited about this. You mentioned that Stars Hollow is the town where you grew up. I can't wait to see it and meet your friends and family there."

"Well, I guarantee it is unlike any small town that you might be used to. It has its breed of eccentric characters that live there."

Marty came home around six, and he was exhausted. He looked very sad when he walked in, and she smelt scotch on his breath which was highly unusual. She hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back.

"Babe, I am going to take a shower and then come out. Why don't you order a pizza for us, okay?"

"Okay," she turned and went to get the pizza menu from the take-out drawer, "Are you okay?"

She followed him into the bedroom and touched his arm. He looked at her, and his heart felt heavy. He so wanted to protect her now that he knows what was going on it killed him that he couldn't share it with her.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Yes, I am ok, it was just a rough day. I am going to shower, and I will be right out."

He kissed her lips and then went into the bathroom where he took his clothes off and got into the shower. He left the water pound on him; he closed his eyes, and all he could see was the van coming towards Ace as he pushed the woman out of the way of the van.

The pizza arrived, and Rory paid the delivery boy. Taking out a bottle of water for herself and a beer for Marty she placed the plates and the drinks on the counter next to the pizza and waited for Marty to come out. It was unusual for Marty to drink at work and take a long shower. She was worried, but he promised no secrets, and so she waited for him to come out of the bedroom. Ten minutes later Marty walked out of the bedrooms dressed in his Yale Sweatpants and sweatshirt, his usual workout clothes.

"Hey Babe, I am going down to the gym and run on the treadmill for a while. Go ahead and eat and I will eat when I get back." He walked over to her and kissed her forehead.

Rory grabbed his arm and looked at him, "Whatever is bothering you, I can help. I can be a good listener too. Remember no secrets; we are partners."

"I know, it's just that I have to wrap my head around some information before we talk about what's bothering me. Ror, you know I love you no matter what."

"Marty you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"Babe, I promise we will talk later." He grabbed his card key for the gym and left.

Rory sat there for a few minutes and decided she needed to call Steph and see if she could talk to Colin. Maybe he could shed some light on why Marty was so upset.

She pushed the speed dial button for Steph.

"Hi, Girlie, what's up?"

"Hey is Colin home? I was wondering if I could talk to him."

"No, he called from the office and said he was going out to meet Finn and Robert, why? Is everything ok?"

"Well if Marty had gone with him, that might have explained the smell of scotch on him. But no Marty never goes, and showers then go and work out when he gets home. He came in took a long shower then went to the gym to run on the treadmill. He never does that. I just don't know what to do...oh Steph. I'm afraid he will leave me. Just like everyone else."

"Hey, I am with Juliet, we were just going to order some food and catch up. Listen we will get in a car, and we will be right over."

Before Rory could protest, Steph hung up. Marty had been gone for about ten minutes now, and he usually ran for an hour. She decided they could warm the pizza up. She slid the pizza out of the box and put it on the warming pan and slipped it into the warming oven. She wished she could have a drink; she needed one now. She laid down on the couch and thought about Ace.

 _It was their first fight, and he stormed out of her apartment. She stood there glaring at the door when he slammed it. The argument was stupid. They had just returned from a trip in France and Germany. It was the fall of 2014 three weeks after her birthday. They had left the day after her birthday and celebrated it in Paris. While they were there, he got phone calls from friends. He took her to meet some of them. They were very rich and powerful people. She did not feel comfortable in their company. He told her he was working on a story and he needed to attend these parties. She went, she felt like a paper doll, all dressed up, but she couldn't talk, they all spoke in French or German, and when they did talk to her, they spoke of weather, parties, and clothing. She had a brain, and she was not used to being ignored. When they got back in the U.S., she was angry. The trip had only lasted four days, but they were the worst four days of her life. He was quiet on the return trip home, working on his laptop and then sleeping. He had put his laptop in the overhead before he fell asleep. Usually, he held her on the plane in first class, this time he put on his headphone and closed his eyes. The long trip home she pretended she was asleep too, but she sat there fuming. Thinking this was a big mistake. She had broken her own rules and fell for a man who thought of wealth, power, and himself first. When they finally returned home, he asked her what was wrong. It was then she told him. She was in her apartment and felt safe, so she told him, that she was not a doll, and ornament for his arm. She had a brain; she was a journalist and highly respected producer for CBS. She was not some DAR Hostess that looks to take care of her husband or boyfriend. She played that role before, and she was better than that. Every time he said something she yelled back at him, finding a fire in herself that had laid dormant for so long. Then he left, he turned around and walked out the door. She was alone. The phone had rung right after he left, she opened it and said hello, thinking it was him, but it was Luke, he called to tell her that her mother was sick._

The buzzer went off at their apartment, and she got up off the couch and answered it. Steph and Juliet were there with bags of food and ice cream in their hands.

"Seems like it is time for a good old Gilmore Girls moment," Steph said hugging her best friend.

"Thank you; Pizza is in the warming oven. I will go get it, and we can sit and wallow together."

The girls piled up their plate with pizza and vegetables. Even Juliet piled her plate too.

Rory looked at her in shock.

"Juliet, you eat?"

"Yes, the key is moderation, you have to fuel the body with good food and energy. First, we will fuel our bodies; then we'll meditate."

The girls sat down and talked. Juliet told the girls about how the marriage finally ended, but the best thing that came of the marriage was her daughter, Pari Isabella Carrington. She and Seth's divorce became final in May of this past year, and they have shared custody of her. Pari was home with her nanny now, but Juliet spent most of the time with her since she rarely went anywhere. The nanny went with Pari when she went to Seth's. Seth was in London now, so that meant two-week trip back and forth. Pari had just turned three and Seth had just gone to London last month. Juliet didn't know how she was going to handle this, she knew it wasn't good for her, and she noticed a change in her daughter's behavior whenever she returned. So, for the next two weeks, Pari was with her before she had to fly back to London.

"Juliet, what are you and Pari doing this weekend?"

"Nothing special, why?"

"Well a bunch of us are going to my home town, Stars Hollow for the Autumn Festival. Why don't you join us?"

"That sounds like fun."

"That is a great idea, Rory, Juliet you can stay at our house; we are driving to Hartford tomorrow afternoon. Do you have classes?" Steph said all excited.

"Just in the morning, I am done by eleven."

"Perfect it's decided. Oh, this will be so much fun, and we can now find out where Rory grew up in that mythical town of Stars Hollow."

The girls began to laugh and then Juliet suggested that they lay down on the floor and meditate. Rory rolled out her yoga mat, and Steph and Juliet pulled out theirs. Juliet turned on her music, and the girls laid back as she began to lead them into a meditation ritual that lasted ten minutes. As the meditation was ending, Marty had walked into the room. He was surprised to see a woman sitting crossed legged on the floor leading a meditation. She told the woman to open their eyes and saw Rory slowly open her eyes. Rory suddenly noticed Marty and slowly getting up she walked over to him.

"Hi, have a good run?" she asked him.

She could see that Marty was sweaty, but she didn't care, she loved the smell of him, his sweat, the body soap he used, and his cologne mixed.

"Yes," he then gave her a kiss and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok; I love you."

He then looked up and said Hello to Steph and the other woman.

"Marty, this is Juliet, you met many years ago when we ate Chinese at that restaurant."

"Of course, Juliet, it is nice to see you again. It has been a long time," he said to the blond woman.

"Marty it has, well Steph I have to get back, so I can say goodnight to Pari. Marty, I am glad to see you with Rory." She put her hand on Marty's arm and then began to gather her things.

Marty went into the kitchen grabbed a bottle of water and took a piece of pizza that was left. Rory walked Steph and Juliet to the elevator and said goodbye and thanked them for coming over tonight.

Rory walked back into the apartment and heard the shower going again. She walked into the bathroom. She slowly undressed and opened the door and walked in. Marty looked up when she entered. He smiled and immediately pulled her into his arms.

"Babe, I heard some disturbing news on a case today, and I needed to process it. I love you so much."

Marty pulled her into his arms and kissed her with passion and urgency. They stood under the cascading water and kissing each other. She took the shower gel he used and poured it on her hands and then began to rub his chest, letting her hands slide down to his pelvis and thighs. She began to massage him, and his erection grew. Rory got down her knees and began to trail kisses down his body. She looked up at him and slid her tongue up and down his erection.

"Rory, Princess," he moaned. She continued, his hands went to the top of her head, and he pressed his length into her mouth.

Marty felt his tip hit the back of her throat and began to moan. "Rory, babe, I am not going to be able to control myself."

She looked up at him and pulled him out of her mouth. He pulled her up and turned off the water. He quickly grabbed two towels and wrapped them around themselves. He sat her on the counter of the sink and then he put her legs on his shoulders. Rory leaned back, and Marty slid to his knees and began to use his tongue on her slit, kissing and biting her. He could taste her excitement and knowing that she was close to an orgasm he stood up and place himself at her entrance. Pulling her hips towards him, he quickly entered her with one push. Then with urgency, he continued, suddenly he felt her tighten around him, and he also felt himself begin to throb. They both climaxed together. They held each other feeling their heartbeat slowing down. He slipped out of her and began to fill up the garden tub. He then lifted her off the counter and carrying her bridal fashion he stepped into the tub. He put her down and then sat down. She sat down and leaned her back against him. He began to kiss her neck slowly. They relaxed in the warm tub, and he explained to her that usually these things never bothered him, but this time it did. He put his hand on her bump and closed his eyes. She felt the little kicks, and so did he. He began to chuckle.

"Ror, I love you and this little guy so much. You are my world," he told her massaging her belly and kissing her neck.

"Marty, you scared me tonight. But I am glad I called Steph and Juliet, they made me realize that in every relationship partners need space, and by meditating I was able to stay calm till you came home."

They both got out of the tub and dried each other off and walked into the bedroom. Pulling the blankets and sheets back, they climbed in deciding tonight that they would sleep skin to skin. Rory rolled over on her side, and Marty curled up behind her. Placing his knees behind her and pulling her close, they fell asleep.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65**

Rory was packed and ready for Marty to walk in the door, so they could leave as soon as he walked in. Even though her job was keeping her busy following the political climate in the US, she was relieved to leave. The journalists were tired of the way things were going and tried to report everything honestly, but they were finding it hard with all the misinformation that was reported by other sources. She had a slight headache when she left the studio and was lying down when Marty walked in.

"Hey Babe, are you ok?" he asked with concern in his voice. Marty was concerned to see Rory laying down when he came home from work.

"Yes, just a little tired. The baby is active today," she told him.

"Well I will get our bags, and then we can leave. I will let you sleep in the car, how does that sound," he said walking into the bedroom picking up their bags.

Rory got up and felt slightly dizzy. So, she sat there for a while taking deep breaths. She soon felt better, and she got up and went to get herself something to eat. She was eating a protein bar when Marty walked into the Kitchen area. He walked over and hugged her whispering in her ear that they had to go.

Marty and Rory pulled into the townhouse in Hartford by 6:00. He pulled into the garage and brought the bags up to their bedroom. Rory was checking out what was delivered in the refrigerator, wondering if they needed to purchase anything else. She knew that tomorrow they would be spending the day in Stars Hollow and would eat there, all they needed to think about was breakfast. Rory had just walked into the bedroom when they heard the bell ring at their townhouse. Marty went downstairs to answer the door; it was Gabrielle and Liam. They had left their bags in the car deciding that after dinner they would drive to the Dragonfly and spend the night there. Rory walked into the hallway and greeted them. She led them into the house and Marty gave them a tour of the townhouse. Liam was impressed with the place. He and Marty began to talk about real estate and the commute to the city.

"I hate to interrupt this discussion, but I think we should leave to go to my grandmother's house," Rory told them as she tapped Marty on the shoulder.

"Oh, I am sorry," Liam said.

"You two can continue your discussion in the car," Rory said. They all headed to the garage and got into Marty's Acura. The girls sat in the back while the two men sat in the front. Marty pulled into the driveway and up to the front of the house, and the two couples got out of the car. When Gabby saw the house, she stood back in awe.

"Wow," she said, "Marty, you never told me that Rory's family lived in a home like this."

Marty laughed, "This is nothing, wait till you see where Colin and Steph live. Rory, I almost forgot to tell you, they said that they will meet us in Stars Hollow tomorrow and that Juliet and Pari will be with them. Just text them when we decide to leave."

"That's great. Let's go in. I think you will like my grandmother."

She rang the doorbell, and the maid answered the door. She recognized Marty and Rory and took everyone's coat. Christopher came out and immediately hugged his daughter. Then he shook Marty's hand and pulled him in for a hug. Rory then introduced him to Liam and Gabrielle. Christopher looked at Liam thinking that he looked familiar.

"You look familiar," Christopher said to Liam as he shook his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Hayden we met many years ago in California. I am Liam Cooper, my father, Glenn Cooper introduced us."

"Yes, now I remember, back when I was a father with very little sleep. Gigi was young, and her mother left. Come on in everyone, what can I get you to drink?"

Gigi came running down the stairs and squealed when she saw Rory. She ran and hugged her then hugged Marty. Rory introduced her to Gabby and Liam. They all sat in the large living room laughing and talking. Francine was enjoying her conversation with her granddaughters and Marty's sister. The men were talking about real estate. Finally, Camilla came in and told them that dinner was ready.

What Rory enjoyed most about her Grandmother Hayden's home was it was warm and elegant. They all sat around the Stickley dining room table, and the maid brought the salad. The conversation flowed, and so did the wine. Rory was enjoying her cider and listening to Gigi and Gabby discuss school. Gigi told Gabby how Rory was the valedictorian of Chilton where she was attending. Rory blushed, Gigi continued and asked her sister when she was going to come and visit her at school.

"Gig, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Probably do my homework and go on the computer."

"We are going to Stars Hollow; you haven't been there since you were little, would you like to join us? There will be so much going on. It's the fall festival, and Sookie and Luke will be there, they would love to see you."

"Dad, can we go tomorrow?"

"Sure, Gig, you might enjoy it. Are you sure it will be ok that we tag along, Rory?"

"Oh, it will be fine. Steve and Kwan will be there and so will Davey and Martha. There will be a lot of kids there," Rory told her father.

The dinner continued, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Rory was so relaxed being with her father's family such a difference from the Friday night meals she had to have at the Gilmores when she was young. During the meal she sat back and smiled at the way her grandmother kept everyone involved in the conversation, never monopolizing it and steering it away from difficult topics. Marty noticed that she was quiet. He put his hand on hers and squeezed it.

"Getting tired Princess?" he asked gently caressing the back of her hand.

"I think so, what time is it?"

Marty looked at his watch and whispered,"Eight-fifteen. Do you want to call it a night?"

Rory smiled and nodded. "Brie and Dan should be at our home around eight thirty." Marty looked around the table and smiled.

"Mrs. Hayden, I want to thank you all for the lovely dinner, but I think I better bring Rory home, she is getting tired."

"Oh, Rory dear, I understand. I am so glad you both came and brought your friends," Francine said as they all got up from the table.

"Goodnight grandma, I am so sorry to leave this early," Rory told her as she gave her a warm embrace.

"It's quite alright dear," Francine said.

She hugged Marty, then extended her hand to Gabby and Liam. "Please come and visit us again," she told them.

Chris and Gigi walked them out to the car. Chris hugged his daughter and kissed her on the forehead.

"We will come to Stars Hollow tomorrow, and we will meet you at Luke's. You leave when you are ready, and we will be there later," Christopher told her and Marty.

The two couples got into the car and headed back to the townhouse.

"Gabby and Liam, Roy asked Dan and Brie to stay at the house tonight too. Rory had all the bedrooms ready. Why don't you both stay the night, and we can all drive together to Stars Hollow," Marty said to them.

Gabby looked at Rory. She and Liam had wanted to spend the night together, but she wasn't sure she wanted to sleep with Liam in her brother's home.

"Well, if it isn't a problem Rory and Marty, we could stay with you tonight," Liam said.

They pulled up to their townhouse and into the garage.

"Great, I will help you bring in your bags, and then Rory can show you to your rooms," Marty said.

"Umm Marty, why don't you let Liam and Gabby get their bags, and you come inside with me, I need to talk to you." Rory gently grabbed Marty by the arm and pulled him into the house.

Pulling him into the kitchen, she looked at him, "Rooms? Martin Knight, your sister is 28 years old, and if she wants a separate room she can have it, but I know for a fact that she doesn't. Now, we will give them the guest bedroom upstairs."

Marty looked at Rory and pouted, "She's my sister Rory."

"Yes, and she is an adult woman who has lived on her own. She knows what she is doing, and you are her family. Plus, Dan and Brie are staying here too."

Gabby and Liam entered the house, and Marty turned around and said, "Here let me show you to your bedroom upstairs."

They followed them upstairs, just then their doorbell rang. Rory answered the door and gave Dan and Brie a big hug.

Marty and Liam began to walk down the stairs followed by Gabrielle.

"Hi, welcome," Marty said as he shook Dan's hand and gave a quick hug to Brie.

He quickly introduced them to Liam and Gabby. Rory came out with a tray of drinks, and they all sat in his large living room talking.

Dan and Brie began the conversation by telling Rory about the drive down, Slowly the women moved to the kitchen, and the guys sat and began to talk.

Marty took them downstairs to the family room where he had a pool table. He handed them each a beer, and they started playing pool. It was while they were down there alone he told them about the meeting of the night before. Dan and Liam stood in silence stunned at what they found out.

"What's going to happen?" Liam finally asked him.

Marty turned around making sure that Rory wasn't coming down the stairs.

"Tristan has the information now, seeing if they can charge them."

Suddenly Marty heard his name, he went to the bottom of the stairs and yelled up, "Babe, do you need anything?"

"Yes, our men."

He chuckled and turned to the guys and said, "I guess we are wanted upstairs."

The three couples sat around and laughed and talked. Finally, Marty noticed that Rory was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

"Come on, lady, let's get you to bed."

Everyone agreed it was time since it was after midnight, and they went upstairs to the guest bedrooms. Marty gave them all fresh towels and then walked back downstairs to their room.

He kissed her gently on the lips and then walked into the bathroom to get changed for bed. When he came out, she was sitting on the bed in his Harvard t-shirt. He sat on the bed next to her and tenderly he reached over and said, "I love you, Princess."

The two of them climbed into bed, and she cuddled into him. Marty held her in his arms and fell asleep while listening to her breath.

Upstairs, Gabby looked nervously at Liam. She took her time in the bathroom before coming out. She was nervous; this was a big step for her. She was at her brother's home, and she was going to sleep with Liam for the first time. He was sitting up in the bed waiting for her. She took one look at him and crawled on the bed next to him. Pulling his shirt over his head, she kissed him passionately and then she began to kiss his broad chest.

"Are you sure, Gabby?" he asked her.

Gabby pulled off her nightshirt and kneeled in front of him in just her thong. He pulled her close to him and began to kiss her neck, her cheeks, and her lips. Slowly he began to kiss her breast massaging one while he gently sucked the nipple on her other one.

"Liam," she whispered.

"You are so beautiful," he told her looking into her eyes and then he told her how he felt about her. He gently kissed her, and soon they both felt the passion that had been building between the two of them.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

"Yes, I just didn't expect that my first night with you would be in my brother's home," she giggled nervously biting her lip.

He put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up towards him. He leaned forward and gently kissed her. She kissed him back tenderly. Sighing she put her head on his shoulder and gently ran her fingers through the hairs on his chest, he then took her hand in his and held it. She looked up at him and smiled. He leaned in and kissed her deeply. They began to kiss, and he slowly removed her thong and then his pajama pants. They slowly began to make love and when they finished, they held each other until their hearts slowed down. Liam put his head on top of hers and wrapped her in his arms, they fell asleep.

The next morning, Rory woke up first and went into the bathroom. She decided to shower and change. Marty heard the shower running and walked into the bathroom. Taking off his sweatpants, he climbed in with her. She turned around surprised but smiled.

"Good morning, Princess. I think you need someone to help you wash your hair and scrub your back."

"You're right," she replied, and she handed him her shampoo.

They took a long leisurely shower together then getting out he wrapped the towel around her and kissed her again.

"Have I told you this morning, how beautiful you are?" he asked her.

"Yes, you have and thank you," she replied.

She put on her robe and walked out into the bedroom. She had hung her clothes in the closet last night and went and retrieved her jeans and sweater that she had planned on wearing today. Returning to the bathroom, in her robe, she began to dry her hair as he stood there shaving with his towel still wrapped around his waist. With shaving cream on his face, he purposely leaned over and kissed her making sure he put the cream on her face. Rory squealed, and the two of them began to laugh. He pulled her in for another deep kiss then taking a wet cloth he wiped her face.

She left the bathroom and got dressed. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun and walked into the kitchen to start the coffee and tea kettle for herself. She smiled thinking to herself, only three more months and she could have coffee again. The coffee was ready, and she stood up and put the mugs on the table. Carefully she took the coffee carafe and put hot water inside it from the tea kettle, pouring it out she filled it with the fresh coffee she just made. She stood there with her eyes closed enjoying the aroma of the coffee when she felt two hands wrap around her waist. She leaned back into him and felt his kisses on her neck.

"Your coffee's ready," she told him.

"I know, and you have been sniffing it, haven't you," he whispered in her ear.

"You caught me."

He turned her around and kissed her on the lips, just as Gabby walked into the kitchen.

"Well good morning you two, don't let me interrupt anything," she giggled.

Pulling apart, Marty poured some coffee into a mug and handed it to his sister.

"I hope you slept well, Where's Liam?"

"He's in the shower, so I thought I would come down and see what is on the agenda today," Gabby replied as she accepted the coffee. Just then Dan and Brie walked down the stairs hand in hand. Rory went to pour Dan a mug of coffee, and he quickly took it away from her.

"Lois, I like to drink my coffee hot, and if I wait until you're done sniffing it will be cold," Dan teased her.

She pouted and gave him the coffee cup then giggled. Gabby, Brie, and Dan went into the area in the kitchen where Marty was sitting at the table by the four large windows that looked out to the front of the street.

"Marty this place is very nice. Did Rory help you decorate it?" Brie asked him.

"No, I had someone else decorate it," he mumbled.

Gabby looked over at her brother remembering that he had been in a relationship two years ago that ended badly. She was surprised that he had kept the place. Liam walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Rory poured Liam his coffee and looking at Dan she stood there taking a big sniff of it. Dan burst out laughing.

"Be careful Liam, we have a woman who is badly in need of coffee, and she has taken to snorting it now."

Marty got up and took the mug away from Rory and then handed Liam a cup of coffee. Rory turned and began putting the bacon in the oven.

"Ror, do you need any help?" Marty asked her.

"Ummm, maybe, how do you turn this on, Marty?"

Marty started laughing and went to the oven and showed her how to turn it on so that she could cook the bacon. She had it on a rack but had placed paper towels on it first. He quickly took the paper towels off the rack and placed the bacon on the rack again. He kissed her nose.

"Ok, I will pour the pancake batter on the griddle, and you can help me flip them."

Knowing Rory's cooking skills, he had delivered the pancake mix that you just add the water to it and shake it in the container. He added the water and handed it to her and told her to shake it. He took out the juice and placed it on the table in case Liam, Gabby, Brie, or Dan wanted any.

"Marty, what can I do to help?" Liam asked.

Smiling he handed Rory the plates and said, "How about, Rory, you set the table and enjoy your tea and Liam, and I will finish breakfast."

She took the plates and smiled at him and then set the table. She also walked over to the pantry and pulled out a box of Pop Tarts and put them in the toaster. As soon as the Pop Tarts popped from the toaster she put them on a platter and brought them to the table. She offered one to Gabby, Dan, and Brie.

Taking a Pop Tart off the plate, Brie squealed, "Oh I haven't had one of these since college."

"Well, I will let you know that my culinary skills consist of dump and bake. Anything that can go into a toaster or a toaster oven that comes out of a freezer I can make."

The girls and Dan started to laugh. "Lois, are you telling me that you don't know how to cook?"

"Well my mother showed me the importance of marrying a man that already had those skills," she replied walking over to Marty and placing her hands around his waist.

They all began to laugh. Rory sat down and drank her cup of tea while everyone else drank coffee and enjoyed eating the Pop Tarts. Marty and Liam brought a platter of pancakes, fried eggs, bacon and toast to the table and Rory took out the maple syrup and butter and placed it on the table. The six of them sat and enjoyed their breakfast together.

"This was delicious but not as good as Luke's or the DragonFly," Rory said, "Wait until you taste their food today."

The girls picked up the dishes and they talked about what the plans were.

"I figured we would leave here about ten and head over to the DragonFly. I booked rooms there for you four, but you are welcome to come back here and stay. When we get there we can walk around the town; I can give you a tour. Dad and Gigi will probably meet us at Luke's for lunch about one." Rory said.

Marty's phone rang, and he went into the other room to answer it. It was Colin asking what time they should meet in Stars Hollow or if they should come to their house. Marty suggests for them to meet at their house before ten and they could all drive over together. Before he heads back to the kitchen, he receives a text message from Tristan.

 _Marty - Please contact me. Some new information has come up concerning Mitchum Huntzberger. – T Dugrey_

Marty felt a sense of dread after reading this message. He quickly called Colin.

"Hey, I'm sending you a message I just received from Tristan concerning Mitchum."

"Marty is it bad?"

"I think so; we will talk later." Marty then opened the message up and forwarded it to Colin. He had a bad feeling about this. He hated keeping secrets from Rory.

Marty walked back out to the kitchen and hugged Rory.

"I should be ready to go in 30 minutes. Colin and Steph are coming here, and we will drive over together. However, I just received an important call. I am going to go into my office and take it."

"Oh, Ok," she says kissing him.

Marty excused himself from his sister, Liam, Dan and Brie and walked up to his office which is the finished loft near the attic. Brie and Gabby both went upstairs to get ready

Rory was standing in the kitchen looking at the sink. Dan and Liam walked over to her and looked at her.

"What's up Lois?" Dan asked her with concern in his voice.

"Is everything ok?" Liam asked her.

"I am not sure, he just received a phone call from work. Thursday, he came home from work smelling of Scotch. Then he showered and went to the gym and worked out for over an hour. He never does that. He eventually told me that he had a case that upset him."

Dan looked at Liam, and they both had a feeling that more information must have surfaced.

'Ror, that's not unusual, you know how many times a news story breaks, and we get emotionally involved. It happens in all careers. Don't let it bother you. Today is a day to have fun," Dan told her trying to reassure her.

"You're right. I just never thought a lawyer would have cases that bothered them. He said he would be ready in thirty minutes. He has gone to take the call."

Just then the two girls walked down the stairs. "Just in time Marty is still on the phone so let me show you the property," she tells Gabby, Brie, Dan, and Liam reaching for her jacket and walking out the patio door off the living room.

She stands outside with them showing them the property.

"I like it out here, and we have discussed living here, and keep the apartment in the city after the baby is born."

"So, you two are going to live in both places?" Gabby asked her.

"Yes, we have found a new apartment. We have narrowed it down to two, but we are not sure which one to choose. I made a pro-con list so now we have to sit down and decide which will be the best investment."

Liam looked at her and smiled. "You look very happy Rory."

"Thanks, Liam, I am happy."

"I am glad that you talked with Logan the other day and let him know how you felt."

Gabby looked at Liam wondering what he meant by that.

"Yes, Liam, I hope so, but I do feel better. Now that I have Ace's parents blessing, and we have an offer on Ace's apartment, Marty and I can move forward and set a wedding date."

Just then they saw Colin and Steph's car pull up the street. She waved to them as they pulled into the driveway. They walked back into the house and opened the front door to let them in. Juliet followed behind with Pari in her arms. She hugged Colin and Steph and then gave Juliet a side hug.

"Who do we have here?" she asked looking at Pari.

Pari smiled shyly then hid her face in Juliet's shoulder.

"Where's Marty?" Colin asked as he walked in.

"He's upstairs on the phone, on business," she answered.

They all went downstairs into the finished basement. Rory introduced Juliet to Gabby, Liam, Dan, and Brie. She showed them the patio and explained how they had room to add another bedroom down here. As they were returning to the first floor, Marty walked downstairs to meet them.

Colin walked over to him and quietly said, "Is everything ok?"

"I will tell you, Dan, and Liam later," he answered, "Hello Juliet, and who is this little beauty?" He said as he gave her a side hug.

Pari looked at Marty and gave him a big smile and said "Pari Bella."

Everyone laughed, and Marty said, "Welcome Pari Bella. So, are we ready to go and venture to Stars Hollow?" he asked everyone.

That morning, Jess called Finn to see if he heard anything new from Logan

"Hey Mate," Finn replied.

"Finn, how are you doing? I wondered if you heard from Logan."

"No, but I got a text from Colin saying that Tristan wanted to talk with Marty," Finn said to Jess as he poured himself a drink.

"Tristan called me and told me that Odette is dead. She died in the fall of 2014, so I am not sure what is going on or what Mitcham has to do with it."

"All I know is that Logan went to London to meet his Uncle and go through more of the finances," Finn replied.

"Wow, that is strange, so if she has been dead who was blackmailing Ace?"

"Have you told Colin or Marty yet?"

"Well I will be seeing him later today, in fact, I was heading to Stars Hollow soon. What are you and Rosemary doing this weekend? Any plans?" Jess asked.

"Well, Mate, Rose and I are no longer together. I came home on Sunday, she left me a note and took off for Europe."

"Oh man that's rough. Ok, you are coming with me. Where are you now?"

"No mate, it's ok," Finn said as he took a sip of his scotch.

"Nope, I will be there. Which place are you staying at?" Jess persisted.

"I am at my apartment at 400W. 63rd St."

"Ok Finn, I want you to pack a bag, we are going to Stars Hollow for some insanity. It is the Autumn Fall Festival, and there are always some crazies doing something there. We can go to the secret bar and drink. Plus, Marty and Colin will be there."

"Ok, I will be ready." Finn poured the rest of his drink down the sink. He wasn't going to go back to drinking again. Rose wasn't worth it.

In London, Logan was sitting in his uncle's flat, and they were going through all the financial records of the HPG for the last eight years. It appeared that the problems started when the stock market declined in 2008, Mitchum's investment in certain print companies lost money. With the boom in technology, more and more people were using their phones, tablets, and computers to read books, and find information. Instead of staying ahead, Mitchum kept buying smaller newspapers hoping to change them. He didn't encourage his magazines to go digital. So, he began to borrow money, this is how he became involved with the Fontanes. He also invested in different properties spreading himself thin, homes in Europe, Florida, Arizona. He lost millions of his own money. Hiding things, he borrowed money. He hoped that his son marrying into the Fontane family would give them the cash flow and no one on the board would find out. He needed someone with money and some new publishing companies and business that would bring in a prophet.

"Logan, your father has kept this mess a secret to everyone. Your Aunt Charlotte will have a field day with him when she hears about this."

Logan's father was the second child and oldest son of four children. Charlotte was the oldest and married a film producer in California. She, however, kept her seat on the board of HPG. She had three children who all were in the film industry in California who were older than Honor and Logan. His Uncle Wes was the youngest and was a playboy. Though he owned a successful financial company, he and Mitchum rarely spoke. Then there was Mitchum's sister Michelle who was married to a judge and lived in Washington DC. Michelle and Shira were close, both loved to spend money and go to spa's frequently whenever they needed to get away from their philandering husbands.

"Well, what do we do? We need to talk to him." Logan said to his uncle rubbing the back of his neck.

"Logan, why don't you go back to the states, I will talk to your father. I think it's time I sit down with him. If he doesn't talk to me, then I will call Charlotte and then call a family meeting."

He patted his nephew on the shoulder. Logan hugged his uncle and thanked him. What a mess, it was a good thing he started his own business. Now let's hope they could get this off the ground. Logan left his uncle's flat. He needed to contact Bobbie, Nick, Philip, and Bill and convince them that he needed them to join him in his new business.

As he was returning to his flat, he decided to stop at a pub near his building and grab something to eat. As he walked in, he recognized two people. A ravishing redhead and Seth. He hadn't seen Seth Carrington in three years, and the redhead he was kissing was Rosemary, Finn's Rosemary. Not knowing what was going on, he decided to find out. He walked up to their table.

"Well hello, Seth, long time and Rosemary. Nice to see you."

Rosemary looked up in shock. The last time she had seen Logan was when they were all together for Rory's birthday party, and she was with Finn. If Rory and Logan had stayed together, then Finn would never have fallen in love with her. She was the reason that Finn wouldn't commit to her.

Seth got up and shook Logan's hand. "Logan, how are you? Are you still living here in London?"

"I came here on business, and I am putting my flat up for sale. And you Seth and Rose, are you here for business or pleasure?" Logan said glaring at Rose.

"A little of both. Will I see you at the LDB event next week Logan?" Seth asked him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Well, I better let you both get back to what you were doing. Take care."

He nodded to them as he left and went to the bar and ordered Fish and Chips to go. When he got his order, he looked back to where they had been sitting and noticed that they had left. He needed to call Finn. He hoped he didn't spiral and begin drinking again.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66**

The four cars drove into Stars Hollow down through the main street. Rory smiled and told Marty about the time she and Lane dressed up as pilgrims at the annual charity can drive. They continued through town to the DragonFly Inn where Gabby, Liam, Dan, and Brie decided to spend the night. They parked their cars in the parking lot and got out walking up onto the porch of the Inn. The Inn's porch was decorated with mums of gold, red and white and the white rocking chairs were empty waiting for the guests to sit and enjoy the beautiful fall colors of the trees that surrounded the Inn. Rory felt a lump form in her throat remembering how her mother loved this time of the year and would always decorate it like this. Marty looked over and saw the tears form in her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Liam, Gabby, Dan, Brie, Colin, Steph, and Juliet all walked over to them.

"Gilmore, this town is very quaint. Too bad when I came here before it was so dark," Colin told her.

"You've been to Stars Hollow before, Colin?" Steph asked him shocked.

"Yes, Colin, Logan, and Finn brought me home after a party my grandmother held for me. It was very embarrassing."

Marty opened the door for her, and they walked in. Michel was at the desk and saw her as soon as she came in.

"Rory, did I know you were coming?"

"Hi, Michel," she said hugging him.

"I brought you some guests; This is Liam Cooper, Gabby Knight, Dan Sheppard and Brie. I made a reservation for them."

Liam and Dan walked over to the counter and began to register for the room that she had reserved for them. She turned to Steph, Colin, and Juliet and took them for a tour of the Inn. Colin was impressed with the Inn. He loved the quality and detail of the craftsmanship in the stair railing. Juliet, Steph, Marty, and Colin followed her as she walked into the busy kitchen. She stood in the doorway watching Sookie work her magic. Suddenly Sookie looked up and saw Rory. She stopped what she was doing and went running over to her.

"Rory, you look good. Are you eating? How are you feeling? Now, where is that handsome Marty? Marty, you better be taking care of her," She rambled as she hugged Rory and then turned and hugged Marty.

"Sookie it is so good to see you. I need to talk to you. Oh, these are my friends, Steph and Colin McCrae Juliet Carrington and her daughter Pari."

"Hi there. Now go sit in the dining room, and I will bring out some coffee, and tea and if it's ok with your mommy I have a cookie for you." Juliet smiled, and Sookie handed her daughter a big pumpkin sugar cookie with orange frosting on it.

Sookie shooed them out of her kitchen and immediately filled a teapot with hot water and a carafe full of coffee. Rory led them to a large table for ten and sent off a text to Brie and Gabby to let them know where they were. Suddenly she heard talking and watched as Liam and Dan walked in with both Gabby and Brie.

"Rory, the rooms are beautiful. We were walking out of our room, and Dan and Brie are just down the hall from us. This place is amazing."

"Thanks, Gabby, you should see the Annex. Maybe we can have Michel bring us over there later."

Just then a waiter and Sookie came out with the coffee and teapot plus a chest of different flavor teas along with the coffee and teacups. Sookie also had a platter of scones, cookies, and muffins for them. Rory introduced Sookie to Gabby, Dan, and Brie and told her that they were here for the Autumn Festival. While they were talking, Jackson walked in with their three children.

Rory stood up and gave Jackson a big hug and began to introduce him to everyone. Looking at Sookie and Jackson's children, she was shocked to see how tall their 13-yr. old Davey had gotten. He was almost as tall as Rory was and handsome. Martha walked over to her mother and kissed her, she was now 11, and then there was little Ethan who was 9. Rory hadn't seen the kids since her mother's funeral.

"Aunt Rory," the three children yelled in unison and hugged her.

"Careful kids, you don't want to knock her over," Jackson yelled at his children.

"Sookie I didn't want to bother you, but I am going to drop Martha at Miss Patty's for her dance. Ethan will be with me, and Davey said he was going to help volunteer," Jackson told Sookie as Martha ran to the Kitchen to grab her dance costume. This year she was going to be one of the dancing Pilgrims.

Sookie just smiled and nodded her head completely confused as what was going on, since she was focusing on getting the meals ready for the people at the Inn and all the guests. She had also entered the pumpkin pie contest and had to get all those ingredients ready.

Rory immediately recognized the glazed look on Sookie's face and kissed her. She walked Jackson and the kids to the door and told them that she would see them later. She returned to the table and smiled at her friends.

"Welcome to Stars Hollow," she exclaimed. They all laughed and began to enjoy refreshments that Sookie had provided for them. After they finished eating, they all decided to take a walk into the town and enjoy the festivities.

The Town council headed by Taylor decorated the storefronts, streets, and homes with pumpkins, corn stalks, mums and Indian Corn. Each home had different colored mums and an assortment of pumpkins on their steps or yard. Some homes chose only to have Cornstalks decorating their porch. Pumpkins lined the sidewalks, and the streetlights were all wrapped with Corn stalks, leaf wreaths and huge banners announcing the Autumn Festival. As they walked down the street towards the town square and the gazebo, everyone looked in amazement at the crowd of people already forming. As they approached Kim's Antique Store, they saw two rambunctious nine-year-old boys running out of the house. From the doorway Rory heard a familiar voice, "Boys stop right there, see you later mama."

Rory turned at the gate and yelled, "Lane!"

"Rory? Rory! Oh my god, you are here. Look at you. You're…"

"Lane," Rory walked up to her and hugged her, "And yes, I am pregnant."

Her friends all witnessed the two young women hugging each other. The boys started pushing each other and horsing around.

Lane looked at her boys and rolled her eyes," Kwan, Steve say hello to your Aunt Rory and then go and help your father and Brian set up the band equipment."

The two boys looked at Rory and grinned, "Hi, Aunt Rory," they said in unison then quickly turned and ran towards the Gazebo in the town squares.

Colin leaned into Steph, and in a stage whisper he said, "Marty, I can see our boys acting like that in nine years." Everyone chuckled.

Linking her arm into Lanes, she brought her over to meet her friends, "Lane I want you to meet my friends. You might remember, Colin and Steph, this is Dan and Brie, they both work with me at CBS, and this is Liam Cooper, and Gabby Knight and this is Juliet and her daughter Pari."

Rory then took Marty by the hand and said, "Now I would like you to meet Marty."

"Hi, everyone it is so nice to meet you. Wait, Marty, are you Marty from Yale?"

"Yes, Lane, he is my Marty from Yale," Rory said.

"Wait, when did you two get together…" then she looked at Rory.

Smiling down at Rory he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"It's nice to meet you too, Lane, and I think I met you when you stayed with Rory at Yale for a while."

"Yes, I think we did. So where are you heading to now?" Lane asked Rory and her friends.

"Well, I thought I would give them a tour of the town, stop at Doose's, and end at Luke's. I think my dad will be meeting us there with Gigi. I also think Jess is coming too," Rory told her.

"Ok, I will see you later, I have to go and set up because our band is playing the music today. And don't forget to stay for the Pumpkin Pie Contest."

"Pumpkin Pie contest? Is this something new?"

"Yes, this is a new contest that Taylor decided to have. Luke, Sookie, and Fran have all entered. They are the three finalists. The winner's pie will be auctioned off at the end of the contest."

"Wow, Luke and Sookie never mentioned it to me, we definitely will have to stay for that." The women hugged each other and then Lane hurried across the street toward the town square.

They began to walk into the town square looking at the different booths that were all set up. Juliet had Pari in a stroller, and she became excited when she saw the bouncing house and the bouncing trampoline that was set up for the children. There was also a pumpkin carving, and pumpkin decorating tables set up for people to decorate their pumpkins, a petting zoo, pony rides, along with the typical fair rides.

Brie, who always carried a camera with her, began taking pictures. She was excited about the small town's appeal. There was a roasted nut booth, manned by Babette and Maury. An apple cider stand which also included hard cider was beside the nut booth along with the lemonade stand manned by Gypsy. An apple press was pressing the apples. They walked around all separating and checking out the different booths and activities. The smell of cider and freshly baked donuts filled the air. Everyone was happy and friendly.

"Dan, are you thinking what I am thinking?" Brie said to him as she began taking pictures of the festival.

"It depends," he said to her as he pulled her into his arms for a kiss.

"We need to get a crew here and record this. The Autumn festival is amazing. We can send it to the studio to use for What's happening in your Neighborhood Calendar. They could tape us as we walk around and talk to the residence of Stars Hallow."

"I love the way you think, Brie," Dan said as he kissed her on her nose then walked away from her and got on his phone. He noticed that he was having trouble getting a signal. He walked over to Rory and asked her if they had cell service here. She began to laugh and told him that he had to go inside Doose's store and stand on a crate. He looked at her as if she had two heads.

"Come on I will show you where to go," she said and grabbed Dan's arm and brought him into the store. Marty laughed and began to walk around with Juliet, Pari, Gabby, and Liam.

Inside Doose's store, Rory had him go over to the produce department. She pulled out a crate and told him to stand there and try now. As he was making the call, she began to walk around the store. She was standing in aisle three near the cornstarch when she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, I see you prefer cornstarch for your thickening needs."

She turned around and there stood Dean Forrester in front of her holding the hand of a little girl with pigtails.

"Hello Dean," she said with a smile on her face.

"Rory it's good to see you, and congratulations," he said.

Just then Dan came down the aisle looking for her. "Rory the phone worked, and I was able to complete my call. Are you ready?"

"Oh, Dan this is Dean. Dean Forrester this is Dan Sheppard," Rory said as she made the introduction.

"Wait, aren't you the news anchor on CBS?" Dean said.

Dan had put his arm around her shoulder as they were talking.

"Yes, I am. It is nice to meet you," Dan said with a genuine smile.

Rory looked up at him and grinned. Dan had an easy way when he met people, even now that he was becoming more famous he was very gracious.

"Well Dean, it is good to see you and your daughter?" she asked.

"Yes, this is Meghan, and maybe I will see you later, are you staying for the festival today?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good, and Rory, I'm sorry to hear about Lorelai, I never got a chance to talk to you last year when it happened. Your mom was a very special lady."

"Thanks, Dean, she was," Rory replied and began to choke up. Dan noticed that she was becoming upset, so he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She smiled up at him. They said their goodbyes and walked out.

"So, who was that?" Dan asked her as they both walked back toward the town square and their friends.

"That was Dean, my boyfriend, that Colin was referring to that I broke up with when I went to Yale."

They reached the group and Dan went over to Brie. Steph and Gabby were decorating pumpkins with paint. Juliet had taken Pari over to the petting zoo, and Brie was taking pictures of them. Liam, Marty, and Colin had found the beer tent and were each having a Sam Adams Harvest Hefe. Marty bought another one and brought it over to Dan. Rory watched and laughed as the girls were painting the pumpkins. They were all enjoying themselves.

Rory laughed, "You don't want me to get close to paint or a hot glue gun. I did not inherit my mother's talent for that."

Rory leaned into Marty and wrapped her arms around his waist. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Would you like something to eat or drink?" he asked her.

"Yes, how about some cider."

"Come on." and taking her hand, they walked over to the apple cider press. Standing beside the press was Kirk dressed as Johnny Appleseed with a pot on his head. Lulu was standing beside him passing out the cups of apple cider. Recognizing Rory, Lulu walked around the table and hugged her.

"Lulu, this is my fiancé, Marty and the man with the pot on his head is Kirk."

"Nice to meet you, Lulu and Kirk," Marty said as he extended his hand.

Looking at Marty Kirk said, "What are your intentions with Rory? Now that her mother is no longer with us, it is our responsibility to make sure she is safe," Kirk said.

"Kirk, don't worry. I am safe, and as I just said Marty is my fiance," she told him again.

"Well Rory, it just so happens that I have my license to officiate at weddings and if you need me to officiate at your wedding I would be glad to give you a discount…."

"Kirk that is nice, I will get back to you. Lulu it was nice to see you and goodbye Kirk."

Rory said as they walked away. She led Marty across the street to Luke's. Pulling up in front of the diner was Jess and Finn. They walked towards them. Finn shook Marty's hand and pulled Rory in for a hug; Jess did the same.

"Doogie, we need to talk," he whispered into her ear. She looked at him surprised and told him okay. They walked into the diner. Luke was gathering his pie plates and ingredients and putting them in a box.

"So, it is true, you are entering in a Pumpkin Pie contest?" Rory asked Luke.

"Yup it seems like it," he answered as he walked over and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Wow, against Sookie and Fran. Luke, this is going to be some contest. But I am partial to your pies, so I know you will win," Rory told him with confidence.

"Another one of Taylor's hair brain ideas," mumbled Luke.

Rory looked around the diner and nudged Marty. In front of the register was the latest picture of their baby. Above the coffee maker behind the counter were the two other picture frames with the first two ultrasound pictures in them.

"Grandpa, can we have two cheeseburgers and French fries, please. Little Ace is very hungry, and he knows that you make the best cheeseburgers," she said as they sat down at one of the tables.

"Rory, you're not eating both, are you?"

"No one is for Marty, Jess, Finn what will you have?" she asked them while Luke took out his pad that he kept in his back pocket. Jess and Finn placed their order, and Luke brought over drinks for everyone, giving Rory water and changing her cheeseburger to grilled chicken on whole wheat.

They were sitting there talking when Brie, Dan, Colin, Steph, Juliet, Pari, Gabby, and Liam walked in.

"There you are! We have been looking all over for you. Some nice lady told us to check Luke's. They said it was your step father's diner," Gabby said.

Luke walked out of the kitchen as they were moving tables together.

"Don't move the tables," he started to yell when he saw that Rory was the one doing it.

"Rory, Jess, get up and help Rory, you too Marty. She shouldn't be pushing these heavy tables around."

Rory, Jess, and Marty started to laugh. "Luke, these are my friends, you remember, Finn, Steph, and Colin. I would like you to meet Dan Sheppard, the CBS news anchor, Brianna Williams my assistant, Liam Cooper, Marty's sister Gabby, Juliet Carrington and this little cutie her is Pari."

"Hello, so what can I get you."

They all put in their orders and Luke went to the window shouting for Caesar to place the order. He went over and found a highchair and brought it over for Pari. They all sat around talking and laughing and enjoying their meal. Jess got up and walked over to his uncle asking him if he could take Rory upstairs to talk to her.

Luke nodded, and Jess returned to his seat, leaning over to Rory he whispered in her ear.

She looked at him and whispered, "Now?"

He nodded. Rory leaned over and kissed Marty on the cheek and told him that she would be right back. She went to the backroom and followed Jess up the stairs. She hoped that there was nothing seriously wrong.

They walked into Luke's apartment and shut the door. She looked around and saw the wedding picture of the four of them hanging on the wall and under it were pictures of Lorelai and Luke at their wedding. It was a collage of them. Rory had to turn her back to them and looked at Jess.

"Jess, what's the matter?"

"Sit down Rory. I have a few things that I need to talk to you about."

"First I heard from Dugrey today since he couldn't get in touch with Colin or Marty. It seems that Odette died in childbirth in 2014. So, she wasn't the person that Ace' saw in France when he died. Apparently, it was another woman. Two women were blackmailing him. Tristan thinks that they might try to go after you."

"What, but why?" Rory asked.

"I don't know, and that is something that Marty and Colin will need to find out and need to write an order of protection. The second thing is about Finn."

"Finn, he's ok, right?"

"Well, he will be. You know that Rosemary left him. We had a long talk in the car on the way over."

"Well, Steph mentioned it, but it surprised me," she said.

"Apparently she was jealous of you. She felt that you and Finn were having an affair."

"What? You know that it isn't true. Finn can tell you that." 

"Yes, he did, and he is upset about her accusations. He wants to make sure that you know about it in case she starts spreading lies."

"Why didn't he tell me?" Rory asked Jess.

"Because I told him that I would talk to you. Now I am going downstairs to get Colin and Marty to come up and talk to you about what Tristen said."

"Ok,"

Jess went downstairs and asked Colin and Marty to go upstairs to talk to Rory.

Marty pulled Jess aside. "You didn't tell her about the Huntzbergers did you? "

"No, I told her what Tristan told us this morning, which they might try to go after her," Jess told him.

"Jess, I don't feel right keeping information from her."

"I know," Colin said, "But I think we need to tell Rory and Logan together and show them the video."

They walked into the apartment and saw Rory sitting there holding a picture of her mother and Luke. She was biting her bottom lip trying to hold back her tears.

Marty immediately put his arm protectively on her shoulder.

"Babe, it's going to be ok. I promise We will write order of protection for you and the FBI will handle it. They are working on identifying the women now."

Downstairs in the diner, Liam looked at Finn and Dan.

"Do you know what's going on upstairs?" he whispered to them so that Gabrielle and Juliet wouldn't hear.

Brie and Dan looked at each other and nodded. They knew a little bit about it. They had found out about the child Odette had when they were in France. The father of the child has not been identified. It was put up for adoption, but no one knew where it was.

Finn looked at Liam and said, "Let's go for a walk."

Looking at Pari, he said, "Juliet why don't you and Gabby take Pari for a ride on the ponies and we can all come and watch. I bet Brie would like to take some pictures."

They left the diner.

As soon as the women were out of earshot, Finn said, "Tristan called Jess and I after he spoke to Marty this morning. He told us that we need to check his apartment again. He also suggested that Marty and Colin put in order of protection for Rory, to keep Mitchum, Shira and Honor Huntzberger away from her. He is pretty sure that Odette's mother is involved."

After listening to Jess, Colin, Marty, and Rory sat there in shock. The men sat there with her. Jess and Colin decided to leave and give Marty time alone with her. As they exited the diner, Christopher walked in with Gigi. Chris recognized Colin and asked him where Rory and Marty were. Jess told him that they were upstairs.

"Is everything ok?" Christopher asked.

"It will be soon," Colin answered.

Rory sat there for a few minutes and looked at Marty.

"Marty, can you leave me alone for a few minutes?"

"Are you sure, Princess?"

"Yes, please."

Marty stood there and didn't want to leave her. "Princess," he gently pulled her into his lap and hugged her. Marty held her close and said, "Rory when I proposed to you I made a promise that I will protect you and the baby, and I plan on doing that. You are safe as long as you are with me." He then wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"I know, I just need to read this letter that Jess gave me." She held up the envelope that had the email that Ace had sent Jess.

"Do you want me to stay?" Marty asked.

Shaking her head no she said, "Marty, I have to do this by myself. I love you."

"I understand, remember, I love you, Rory," He pulled her to him and gave her a tender kiss. She deepened it and slipped her tongue into his mouth. He responded and held her close to him. They broke their kiss, and she stood up. She walked him to the door and kissed him once more. Shutting the door, she went and sat on the couch. Rory looked up at her mother's picture, and said, "Mom, I need you now. Please help me."

Rory slowly opened the envelope that held the last email that Ace had sent Jess. With trembling hands, she held the paper and began to read it.

 _Jess. I need to confess something to you. I know how much you love Rory and you and Finn once told me that you would hurt me if I did anything to hurt her._

 _Before I met Rory, I was involved with another woman. Her family was very wealthy, and we had a brief affair. Once I found out that she was engaged to be married, I broke it off with her. However, she tried to continue this relationship. The last time I saw her was in March of 2014. We were not together in the physical sense, she had been with other men since I had ended our affair in December of 2013, but she claims that the child is mine. I refuse to believe it. Then in November 2014, I found out that she died in childbirth and the child was placed in an orphanage. Before it could be legally adopted, they needed me to sign off on the paperwork since she claimed I was the father. I signed the paperwork, but recently after talking to my lawyers, I decided to give a DNA sample. I will be bringing that sample to them. Please protect Rory for me. These people that this woman is related to are not sane people. I have made sure that all my money is now in Rory's name, so they can no longer try to sue me. I am 100% certain that this child is not mine, but they are greedy and want money._

 _Ace._

Rory looked at the paper and placed her hand on her bump. Ace, my sweet Ace.

She sat there for another 10 minutes with the tears streaming down her face. She heard a gentle knock on the door. She got up and walked over to it, thinking it was either, Jess or Marty. Rory opened the door, and she found her father standing there. She ran into his arms and cried, cried for her mother, cried for Ace, cried for the years she never had with her father and now for her child. He held her and let her cry rubbing his hand up and down her back. Holding her as he has for Gigi whenever she was hurt. His oldest needed him; he now had to be the parent, the strong one for her.

Downstairs in the diner Finn, Liam, Dan, and the girls returned. Marty introduced Gigi to his friends. The bell rings and Doula walks into the diner and seeing her big brother, Jess, she runs over to him.

"Jess, when did you get in?" she asked him as she hugged him tightly.

"Hi squirt, I got in about an hour ago, and yes, I will be stopping by to see you, mom and TJ. Here, I brought you another book. Out of his back pocket, he pulled out a book for her."

"Wow, Thanks, Jess, is this a new book?"

"Yes, I had the author sign it for you," he hands her a copy of Unhooking the Moon.

Gigi watching this exchanged walked over to Jess and Doula.

"Hi, my name is Gigi, I'm Rory's sister."

"Oh, sorry Gig, this is my sister Dot," Jess introduced the two girls.

"Hey Dot, why don't you take this, and you and Gigi go and check out the rides at the festival," as he handed her a twenty-dollar bill. The two girls left chatting away.

"Hey Uncle Luke, what can we carry over to the town square for you?" Jess yelled to his uncle who was busy arranging crates and coolers with his supplies for the bake-off that was to begin in two hours.

"Thanks, Jess, I have the coolers set up on these two dollies and if you can grab one and someone could grab the crates that would be a big help.

"Is she going to be ok?" he looked at Marty when he asked the question. Jess and Marty both shrugged their shoulders.

"I think she needs time," Jess said, "Chris is with her now."

The men began to gather the items and the women followed. They all walked over to the town square. As they walked out the door, a CBS news truck pulled up. Immediately Brie broke away from the group and walked over to them talking about the fair and what a great piece it would make. Chad and Neil followed Brie to where Dan was, and they began to talk. Gabby walked over to Liam and Marty and asked them what was wrong. She was very concerned about Rory and the health of her baby. They gave her an edited version of how Ace was being blackmailed, and that the FBI was involved. Steph, Colin, Finn, and Juliet decided to wander around the fair and enjoy the festivities. Finn and Colin went to get some drinks while Steph stayed with Juliet as they watched Pari in the bouncy house. As they were getting the drinks, Finn began to explain to Colin the fight he had with Rose and her jealousy of Rory.

Christopher finally got Rory to calm down. They were sitting on the couch, and she had her head on his shoulder.

"Ror, can we talk about this?"

"Dad, I don't understand how both men I had relationships with were involved with this woman. What if the baby is his? It is an orphan now. At least my son has a family."

"Ror, if this baby was adopted then it has a family, isn't Marty going to adopt your baby?" Christopher asked her as he stroked her head.

"Yes, but it's not the same."

"It is, apparently Ace was certain it wasn't his child. I think Jess and Finn are checking this out from what they said. Look you need to take care of yourself and my grandson. I will help you find out what you need, and we together will clear this up, okay?" He put his fingers up under her chin and looked her in the eyes.

"Now, let's go downstairs and enjoy the festival."

She smiled at her father and kissed him on the cheek. She went into Luke's bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She came back and gave her dad a weak smile, and they walked down the stairs.

"You know, Luke has a nice place here. He is a good guy, Rory. I am glad that he was in your life when I couldn't be," he admitted to her.

Rory smiled up at her dad and said, "Thank you for being here today when I needed you most."

He pulled her in for a hug, and the two of them walked down the stairs.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67**

Rory and Christopher left the diner and walked toward the Festival. The first people they met were Miss Patty and her dancers. Martha was all dressed up in her pilgrim costume leading the dancers to the stage that was set up for them. The Hep Allen band was setting up now, and she saw Kwan, Steve, Doula, Davey, and Gigi all standing around talking beside the stage. Davey and Gigi seemed like they were enjoying themselves and were in an animated conversation. Rory poked her father, and he looked over. He started to glare at the site of his younger daughter talking to boys.

"Dad, leave her. She is fine. I know all those children. It's good to see her with children her age. Come on."

As she was pulling her farther away from where the kids had gathered, Miss Patty approached them.

"Hello Christopher, it is nice to see you again. Rory, dear are you ok? Your eyes are all red."

"No, I'm fine Miss Patty, I have been sneezing like crazy ever since I walked past the hay bales. I must be allergic. They say pregnancy can bring out allergies that you never had before." Rory didn't know if this was a true statement or not, but using pregnancy for an excuse sometimes worked in her favor, especially since she has been so emotional throughout the pregnancy. Instinctively, Christopher pulled out the hanky he always carried in his pocket and handed it to his daughter.

"Come on Ror, let's move you farther away from the hay bales and let me get you something to drink. That might help your scratchy throat. Nice seeing you, Miss Patty."

"You too, Christopher," she replied and turned to her dancers and yelled, "Ok, pilgrims and Native Americans up front, pumpkins, acorns in the back, and leaves...leaves oh no, where are my leaves…"

Rory and Christopher laughed as they walked past the booths and toward the tent and stage where the pumpkin pie contest was set up. Rory saw Sookie and Jackson setting up her supplies, next to her was Fran and her staff from Weston's, and then there was Luke with Marty, Jess, Liam and Gabby helping him set everything up. Gabby was talking to Luke, and he was explaining to her where he wanted the items. Jess and Marty were busy setting up the coolers. They didn't notice them approach.

"Hi guys looks like you all have everything under control," Rory said as they came closer. Marty immediately looked up at her. Looking at her he noticed the redness in her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. He walked over to them and smiled.

"Hey, so do you need me to get you anything? Food, water?"

"Yes, just this." She walked over to him and put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

"I love you, Marty," she whispered to him.

"I love you too, and we will be ok."

Christopher smiled at his daughter and Marty. At moments like this, she reminded him of Lorelai. After witnessing her breakdown, he knew that it was his time to play a more active role in her life. She may be an adult, but she still needed her parents. He was also pleased that she had Marty in her life. He had liked both Ace and Logan, but Marty seemed to be stronger, steadier. He would protect her and his grandson.

"Okay, I am going to go grab some food. Marty, Jess, Luke, Liam, Gabby, Rory what would you like?"

"Thanks, Christopher, I am too nervous to eat, but you guys go," Luke answered as he looked around. Just then Caesar appeared with the pie dishes he would need to complete his pumpkin pie. Luke being a purist decided to make a traditional pumpkin pie with a twist. He had been experimenting and was able to make his pie smoother than before. He added a secret ingredient. Today Sookie was going to make a Silk chiffon pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust, and Fran at Weston's was going to make a pumpkin pie with a chocolate chip cookie dough crust. The tent that held the bake-off was beginning to fill up. The ovens were all on, and the coolers were set up with the refrigerated ingredients that they needed. Each contestant had 2 hours to make their pie and bake it before the judges got to taste it. The judges were Andrew, Gypsy, Miss Patty, Maurey, and guest chef Wendy Laurent from L'escale restaurant in Greenwich Connecticut. The CBS crew stood in the back and began to film this event. Both Dan and Brie felt it would make a great piece for the local travel section of the news. Taylor was all excited when he saw the CBS news truck arrive and he went back to his home to change and fix his toupee. Kirk was still walking around dressed as Johnny Appleseed with Petal, the pig on a leash. Christopher came back with Liam and Jess with an assortment of food and drinks for all of them. Gabby and Rory were sitting and had saved a row of seats for everyone. Colin, Steph, Finn, Juliet, and Pari walked in and immediately sat with them. Finn came over to her holding Pari in his arms.

"Love, we need to talk later today or tomorrow. Will that be ok?" he asked her.

She looked at him with concern in her eyes. She hoped it would not be more drama. She nodded, afraid to answer.

Taylor came to the center of the stage wearing his toupee, a vest decorated with pumpkins, a white shirt, and a bright orange tie.

Rory turned to Jess and poked him the ribs with a giggle she said, "Let the mocking begin." He smirked and leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out.

"Let me welcome you all to Stars Hollow's Autumn Festival and our first pumpkin pie contest. Each year we do this festival to help raise money for certain charities in our town, and this year I decided after watching the cooking channels that we needed to step up our game. So as head of the Town Council, I decided we needed a Pumpkin Pie Baking contest. Today the three challengers are, Sookie St. James Belleville from the Dragonfly Inn,".

The crowd started clapping, and Rory led a cheer, "Yeah, Sookie!"

"Please refrain from the hoopla until everyone has been introduced," Taylor continued, "Fran Weston from Weston Bakery," again the crowd cheered. Taylor glared out at the audience and Rory, Jess and Finn started to laugh. "Finally, we have Luke Danes from Luke's Diner." Immediately the crowd stood up clapping, and in the back, you heard Liz and TJ going, "That's my brother law!" Luke stood up there in his backward cap and his flannel shirt rolling his eyes.

"Ok, bakers, you have 2 hours to make your pumpkin pie, Sookie can you tell us what you are making today?"

Taylor walked over to her and put the mic in her face, "Oh" giggled Sookie, "That's a little close there Taylor." Pushing the mic away she said, "I am making a Pumpkin Silk Chiffon pie with a gingersnap pie crust."

Moving to the next contestant again Taylor shoved the mic in Fran Weston's face. "Taylor," she whispered suddenly becoming very nervous, "I am making a Pumpkin pie with a cookie dough crust." As she finished the sentence, everyone was leaning in their seats to hear what Fran was making since she was talking so softly.

In the front row, Babette yelled out, "Fran what are you making?"

The crowd started to laugh. Rory leaned over and whispered to Marty, "this reminds me of the town meetings I used to go to as a kid."

Next Taylor moved over to Luke,

"Taylor if you stick that thing in my face I will put it somewhere the sun doesn't shine," he told Taylor glaring at him.

"Well Luke, I don't think that is the appropriate thing to say, now please tell us …" Luke grabbed the Mic from Taylor's hands and glared at him. Speaking to the audience, he looked out and saw his stepdaughter Rory, he grinned. "I am making a traditional smooth pumpkin pie."

The crowd all cheered. Rory had tears in her eyes because this was her mother's favorite pie that Luke made.

"Ok people, let the baking begin."

Taylor hit the button for the big clock that was set up behind the bakers.

Standing behind Sookie was Jackson and Davey ready to hand Sookie whatever she needed. Fran had two helpers from Weston's, and Luke had Caesar and Lane working with him. Rory waved at Lane, and she waved back. They all sat back in their seats as they watched the chefs began to mix and blend their ingredients for their pies. All three had pre-cooked their pumpkins which were allowed. Christopher began passing out the drinks. He had picked up more beer for the men, and cider for Steph and Rory, and hard cider for Brie, Juliet, and Gabby. He passed out the food he picked out and gave Rory her candy apple.

Looking at her Marty said, "And what do you think you are eating?"

"Fruit on a stick.," she said taking a big bite and licking her licks as they became sticky from the caramel.

"Oh, you are? Give me a bite." He said as he leaned over to take a bite of her apple. As he leaned in to get some, she kissed his lips instead. Responding to her kiss, he licked her bottom lip and pulled her close to him. She began to giggle, and he took a bite of her apple.

They stayed in their seats until the pies were placed in the ovens. They then all got up and began to walk around the fair. Taylor was making announcements to let the crowd know how much longer it would be till the pumpkin pies were finished baking. Juliet, Rory, and Steph walked over to a booth where there was handmade children's clothing. Rory and Steph found buntings that were handmade for their boys. Juliet bought a hand knitted sweater that would fit Pari now. They continued to walk around, and soon they found themselves at the edge of the stage. The Hep Alien Band were starting to set up again to play. As Rory was looking around, she noticed her sister Gigi standing in line with Davey for one of the rides. They were holding hands. She tapped Steph on the shoulder, and the two girls looked at them smiling.

"Let's hope my father doesn't see this, he will go nuts," Rory whispered to Steph. The girls were talking and enjoying the music when the men came up behind them. Rory turned around when she felt Marty's hands reach around her waist.

"How are you doing, Princess?" he asked her as they swayed to the music.

"I am ok," she sighed.

Just then Taylor yelled over the speaker system, "Ten minutes people, start making your way to the Pie Tent to find out who the winner is."

The two couples turned and began to walk back to the tent. On the other side of the town square, Gabby and Liam were sitting enjoying the day. They were holding hands and talking about what they learned earlier.

"Liam, did you know any of this when you first joined with the Huntzbergers?" Gabby asked him as she rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand.

"No, I didn't. Logan approached me about this business. I thought it was a great concept and began to make inquiries about the family and their business. Everything seemed fine. Remember this was back in March of this year. I didn't meet Rory till July after her fiancé had died. I had heard about her but never by name."

"Do you think Logan has anything to do with this?"

"No, I can honestly say he doesn't, he is just as shocked as everyone else."

"I am so worried about my brother. He is so in love with her. I don't want to see him get hurt."

Liam stood up and pulled Gabby up and kissed her on the lips. "He won't, and she won't hurt him. Her love for him is genuine. I know. Come on; I am anxious to see how these pies turn out."

Each contestant had to cook two pies that were the same, one for judging and one to be auctioned off or sold at the end of the contest. The winner would receive a pumpkin trophy and the bragging rights for winning the pie. Dan and Brie were helping the news crew set up. During the day they had been interviewing the people at the Festival. They had interviewed Babette, Miss Patty, Kirk and Lulu and many visitors who were here for the event. They took pictures of the town and the different storefronts. As soon as the pie contest was over, they were going to have the camera crew stop and enjoy the festivities with them.

The buzzer went off, and the three bakers went to their ovens and pulled out their pies. They each set them out on a cooling rack to cool. While there were cooling, Taylor was talking to the judges and Kirk was walking around trying to sell apple butter that Lulu's first-grade students had made.

As he approached their group, Jess looked at him and said, "Kirk what are you doing?"

"I am selling apple butter that Lulu's first-grade students made."

"Kirk, do you have a license to sell this? Where did the children make it? Is this the stuff that the children made outside in the booth by your apple tent?" Jess continued getting Kirk flustered.

Flies were buzzing around the apple butter containers that Kirk was trying to sell. They all told Kirk no thank you politely before he moved on. They had to wait at least another forty-five minutes before they announced the winner of the pies. Rory turned to Finn and asked him if he wanted to go for a walk with her and talk. She told Marty not to worry she would be back soon and kissed him. Finn and Rory began walking down the street of Stars Hollow toward the Muddy River Bridge, her favorite quiet spot. She sat down awkwardly on the bridge with her feet dangling over it. After he helped her down, he sat beside her.

"Finn, what's going on?"

"Rory, I want to talk to you about the news that Jess told you. I have a P. I. investigating the claims of the DNA. Hopefully, that information will prove that the child was not his. Ace never cheated on you; I know that."

"Thanks, Finn, it's just I can't believe that both men that were involved with her were also in my life. Please tell me that you had nothing to do with her," she said to him with concern on her face.

Finn chuckled, "No, Love, when we were together it was only you. Now you know that Rose left me again, but his time for good."

"Oh Finn, I am sorry," she reached up and put her hand on his cheek.

He put his hand on hers and held it. "It's ok. I know now, I should never have taken Rose back. She went back with the person she had an affair with and broke up their marriage. But she blames you for our breakup."

"Me? That's ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

"Well in her mind, I never got over you, and she doesn't like that we have remained close friends."

"Oh, I am sorry, but Finn I don't want to lose you, Colin, Steph. You are my family…" and she began to cry.

He pulled her into his arms to console her.

"You won't, I promise. Come on. Let's get back to the group."

He stood up and gently helped her up. Her balance was off, and she fell into his arms. The two of them were laughing when Liam and Gabby happened to walk to the end of the bridge and saw them in an embrace.

Gabby quickly turned around angry thinking that Rory was two-timing Marty. Liam didn't know what was going on and quickly followed Gabby. As they got back to the town square, Gabby told Liam she wanted to leave and go back to the Inn. They both walked toward the Inn. Gabby was not talking and Liam quietly followed. He felt that Gabby was overreacting, but Gabby refused to listen.

"Gabby wait, I don't think there is anything between Finn and Rory but close friendship. She has known him as long as she has known your brother. They just have been friends for a lot longer."

"Liam, you don't understand. She hurt him once before in college; then there was Nora."

"Nora, who's Nora?"

"Nora and Marty bought the house he owns in Hartford. He was in love with her, but two years ago, she broke up with him."

"Things change, Gabby." Liam stopped and grabbed her hand.

"Listen, at the same time Marty broke up with this Nora person, Rory had met her dead fiancé. Your brother went to help her on his own. He didn't have to, and from what I understand from them both, that once they shared their first kiss, it was magical. Something like this."

Liam gently bent down and kissed Gabby tenderly on the lips. She immediately put her arms around his shoulders and leaned into him. He deepened his kiss and licked her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She felt a tingle go down her body. Her desire for him began to grow. Slowly they broke apart.

"Gabby, please talk to them before you make any judgments." He leaned his forehead on hers and then kissed her on the tip of her nose. She smiled at him.

"Ok," she said kissing him again. They were closer to the Dragonfly Inn, so they continued to walk hand in hand to the Inn. Michel was there, and he immediately welcomed them back. They decided to have something to eat, even though Sookie was still at the festival, her chefs had prepared some wonderful meals. They sat down and enjoyed dinner together. They then retired to their room.

Finn and Rory returned to the group. Marty looked at the two of them and smiled.

"All good now?" he asked Finn.

"Yes mate, it is."

He slapped Marty on the back and went and bought everyone more of the beer. Taylor began to call everyone back to the tent; the judges had made their decisions.

Taylor got to the podium and called out, "Attention, Attention. It's time for me to announce the best Pumpkin Pie."

He took the two envelopes and opened the first one, "Well this is highly unusual. For second place, the winner is Fran's Pumpkin pie with Chocolate chip pie crust. Now, what am I going to do with my third-place trophy," Taylor mumbled.

"It seems for our first Pie Contest; we have a tie. Sookie and Luke's pie have tied for First place. The five judges loved both pies so much that they couldn't decide which pie was the best. So, we have decided that all three pies will be auctioned off."

Colin who loved an auction bought Luke's pie for the highest bid. He was ready to bid again on the other two when Steph walked him away from the event and made him go to one of the booths to win a stuffed animal for her and the baby. Finn and Juliet were laughing remembering Colin's love of spending his money. Finn then took Juliet and proceeded to place Pari on a pony for her very first pony ride. Juliet took pictures on her phone. Pari was happy and seemed to like Finn. She started to call him "Inny" which got everyone laughing. The group then went back to Luke's to enjoy the pie. Sookie and Jackson joined them, and she brought the extra pies she had made. As they were sitting enjoying the pies, Davey and Gigi walked in followed by Doula, Martha, Steve, and Kwan. They sat at a table not far from the adults and Rory, and Steph noticed how Davey pulled out Gigi's chair and how they discreetly held hands under the table. Steph and Rory kept Christopher, Sookie, Luke, and Jackson talking so they wouldn't notice the kids. Sookie got up and checked on the kids making sure they had pie when she noticed that Davey was holding Gigi's hand.

She was just about ready to say something when Rory jumped up and said, "Sookie, I want to talk to you and Luke. I want to have a Thanksgiving Dinner party with my new and old family here in Stars Hollow. And I would like to ask you if we could have it at the Inn. Luke said he would help and since you know what my cooking skills are, I want you to help too, please will you help me? Marty and I would like this to become a tradition, and of course, everyone here is invited plus more."

Sookie walked over to her and said, "Rory, that would be wonderful. Of course, you can have it at the Inn. Luke you and I can plan the menu. Oh, we only have a few weeks. Okay, before you leave stop by and we can start planning. And Luke we will need to make more of these pies."

Marty and Rory looked at each other and smiled, then Rory noticed that Liam and Gabby weren't with them. She asked the others, but they hadn't seen them in a while. It was getting late, so Marty, Rory, Colin, Juliet, Pari, and Steph headed back to Hartford. Jess and Finn went to stay at TJ's and Liz's house, though Luke offered to open the Crap Shack for the men to stay in. They declined and headed for the secret bar.

The next day, at her home in Hartford, Steph received a phone call from her office saying the buyer of Ace's apartment would be ready to close on or before Nov. 7th. They were very anxious to move in. Steph looked at her schedule and decided to call Rory later that morning to find out if they could meet and finish emptying the apartment. They still had the one closet to go through. She was also wondering what Rory and Marty had decided about the apartments she had shown them. They never did get a chance to discuss it. Colin walked into their kitchen and kissed his wife before he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Colin have you heard at all from Logan?"

"No, I plan on calling Logan this afternoon."

"I am so worried about Rory she is an emotional wreck. She shouldn't need to worry about this. Her job is stressful enough. I wish she would stop work until the baby comes. She can afford to do it."

"Yes, she can but remember she wasn't brought up with money, and because of that she has a very strong work ethic, Marty does too. Funny how becoming partners with Marty helped me realize the importance of money and saving." Colin wrapped his arms around her.

"You know what I can't understand are Rosemary and Finn. All through college, she played games with him. I thought once he decided to settle down she would be happy, but instead she goes and leaves him for someone else," Steph says to Colin as she leans back into his embrace.

"Well, she always had the hots for Logan and Seth. But she is with Seth now since she broke up his marriage to Juliet."

"What? Did she break up Juliet's marriage to Seth? She never said a word to us. She needs our friendship more than ever now." Juliet had left earlier that morning with Pari. She had thanked them for including her. She had a wonderful time.

Colin's phone rang, and he picked up. He looked at the number and said, "Speak of the devil." Colin walked out of the kitchen to his office, "Hello Logan, how was your time in London."

"Hey Colin, I got back last night. It was interesting. Did you know that Rosemary is with Seth now? I saw them at a Pub near my apartment in London being very cozy. "

"Yes, Steph and I were just talking about it. Apparently, she left Finn for good now and moved to London."

"How's Finn? As bad as he was when he had that break up in 2014?"

"No, actually Finn is doing very well. We spent all day yesterday with him. We were all in Stars Hollow for the Autumn Festival. In fact, he spent time with Juliet. It seems that Juliet is Steph and Rory's Yoga instructor and they invited her to come along. She brought her little girl with her who Finn took a liking too. Unfortunately, Rory was given some bad news about Ace, but right now I think she is handling it ok."

"What do you mean Colin, what happened? Are Rory and the baby ok?"

"She's ok now and so is the baby. Jess and Finn received a phone call. Apparently, Odette died in the fall of 2014. Someone was blackmailing him claiming that he was the father of this child. However, he had DNA samples that he was sending to the blackmailer to prove that he was not the father of the child. We don't know if he was able to deliver it before he was killed in that accident."

"I had no idea that she even knew Ace Gerrard. She kept her life in France hidden from me. If I hadn't caught her in bed with that tennis player I might be married to her now and playing father to her bastard."

"Logan, I hate to ask you but when she moved into your apartment did she leave anything behind, something that might indicate what she was doing… a journal, diary, a planner with dates in it a computer?

"You know, I had stuff stored in London. I can have one of my associates go through it or maybe a P. I."

"Good, why don't we do that. Finn has hired a P.I., why don't I fill out the legal paperwork so that the P.I. has permission to go through the items."

"Great, meantime, are you going to the Yale Alumni weekend and the LDB event? I heard it is going to be a Great Gatsby theme this year."

"Yes, I think Steph and Rory were discussing it."

"Are you planning on going, Logan?"

"Yes, I must attend because Doyle and I are going to see if we can network with some of the journalist graduates who might be interested in working at my studio and then the following week we plan on visiting Princeton, Harvard, Cornell, and Syracuse school of journalism."

"Sounds like you have a busy week, well my beautiful wife just walked into my office with a pout. I think she wants to go out for breakfast. So, I will talk soon," said Colin with a chuckle as Steph slowly began to undo her robe and letting it slip down her shoulders. Colin ended his call and put his phone on hi desk. Steph walked over to him where he was sitting in his office chair and he pulled Steph on his lap and began kissing her neck and shoulders.

Later that same morning, Rory and Marty were enjoying brunch at the Hartford Golf Club with Christopher, Gigi, and Francine. Gigi was telling her grandmother all about the Autumn festival and the fun that she had. She also told her about the friends that she had made in Stars Hollow.

"Rory, do you think I can go with you the next time you go and visit Stars Hollow?" Gigi asked her older sister.

"I am sure we can arrange that, right dad?" Rory looked at her father with a grin.

"Sure Gig," Christopher told her with a smile on his face. They were all enjoying their meal when they heard a voice calling her name.

"Rory? Is that you?"

It was Honor and Josh, Logan's sister and brother in law. Behind them with her two children was Shira Huntzberger. Immediately Shira began to fuss all over Francine.

Honor came over to their table and hugged her.

"Rory, I didn't know you were back in the area. My brother never tells me anything. You remember Josh don't you, and these are my two boys, Micah and Caleb."

"Yes of course," Rory stood up and kissed Josh on the cheek along with air kisses to Honor. She nodded to Shira.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your meal, but I have missed you so much. My brother was so stupid to ever break up with you." Honor continued, she just looked at Rory because this was not the man she was with when she saw her at the Hartford Annual Fundraiser last weekend.

"Oh, Honor I don't believe you have ever met my father, Christopher Hayden, my grandmother Francine Hayden, my sister Gigi and my fiancé, Martin Knight."

They all stood around for a few minutes talking. Josh was acquainted with Marty since his company had used the McCrae Knight Law Firm. Finally, they left, and they all sat down to finish their meal.

"Rory, I wasn't aware that you had dated Shira Huntzbergers son. I am so glad that you have Martin now. He is a better match for you," she said patting her granddaughter on the hand and smiling.

Christopher picked up his glass and said, "I agree. To my future son in law. Now didn't you say something about wedding plans?"

Rory smiled at her dad. "Yes, but before we talked about that, I want to invite all three of you to our first family Thanksgiving, that Marty and I are hosting in Stars Hollow. Last year, as you may remember, was a difficult Thanksgiving. But now," Looking around the table and grabbing Marty's hand she continued. "I have so much to be thankful for."

"Of course, we would love to be with you and Marty for Thanksgiving dear. It's about time that I went to that charming town that you grew up in," Francine told her.

"Now Christopher, what is this about wedding plans? Rory, Marty?" she asked looking at the three of them.

Marty cleared his throat and said, "Well Francine, Rory and I decide that we want to get married before the baby arrives."

"Yes Grandma, and we wanted to talk to you and Dad about this. I want to be married at Yale since that is where we first met. So next weekend is the Yale Reunion, and while we are there, we are going to look at places."

"Good, it's about time, have you told Emily yet?" Francine asked her.

"No grandma we haven't. I was going to talk to her when she comes back. I plan on inviting her to the Thanksgiving too."

"Well give her a call. If she gives you trouble, let me know, and I will talk to her. You let me know what I can do to help you make your wedding special. Now, Martin, you can start calling me Grandma or Francine, whatever you feel comfortable with." 

Marty looked at Rory and smiling said, "Thank you, Grandma Francine." The Hayden family continued talking and enjoying their brunch.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68**

Returning to their townhouse in Hartford, Rory walked into the bedroom and began to pack her bag. She was beginning to leave some of her clothes and toiletries here. Walking to one of the spare bedrooms not far from the master bedroom, she opened the door. Looking around she thought that this would make the perfect nursery, it had two windows that gave it a lot of light making the room bright and cheerful. Marty came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, a penny for your thoughts."

"Hmmm, I was picturing this room as a nursery. What do you think? Blue and white striped wallpaper on that wall, a mural on that wall, blue curtains, a white crib over here, a rocker."

"Sounds perfect to me, when do you want to start decorating?" He put his arms around her waist, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned against him.

"Soon, maybe after next weekend." She turned in his arms and put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. "So, have you decided where you wanted to live in the city?"

"Well, I think I have narrowed it down to two places. How about you?"

"Me too, I think we should go look at them today when we get home," Rory told him as she kissed him again.

The two of them looked around the room again, and then hand in hand closed the door and picked up their bags and walked downstairs. Making sure that everything was cleaned up, they walked out into the garage and set the alarm. They then got in their car and drove back to the city.

Returning to the city, Gabby and Liam parked his car in the parking garage. They took the elevator to the 24th floor. Holding hands, they walked back to her apartment.

"You know, after spending the weekend with you, I no longer want to be alone," she told him as she leaned up and kissed him.

"Well you can move in with me," Liam said.

"I like that idea, but we haven't been dating very long."

"Gabby, it is up to you, I am not going to pressure you."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Sighing she turned and put her key in the door and opened the door wide. Taking him by the hand Gabby pulled him into her apartment. She shut the door; then she led him to her bedroom.

Rory and Marty had both decided on the same two apartments. One of the apartments that they were considering was in the building that they were living in now and it would need to have a lot of renovations for it to have what she wanted in the apartment. The other apartment that they both liked was the Orion, at 350 West 42nd Street. It had everything they wanted, and it only needed painting. They would be able to move in before the baby came in January. When they got home, Marty called Steph and told them to put an offer on the apartment. He told her that the apartment was to go in both their names and gave her a price to start the negotiation. She thought it was a fair offer; she then told Marty that she needed to talk to Rory.

"Ror just wanted to let you know that the buyer for Ace's house is anxious to close. Can we meet tomorrow? I will call the storage unit people and see if they can meet us and help move the stuff that might be in it."

"Yes, I should be able to leave by 5:30 or 6:00, will that be too late?" Rory asked her.

"No that should be fine, maybe we can have the guys meet us there and then we can go for dinner after." 

"Ok, that sounds like a good plan, I will talk to you tomorrow." Rory hung up the phone and then she went to sit beside Marty on their couch. Even though it was only three in the afternoon, she felt tired.

"Marty, I think I am going to lay down for an hour."

"That's ok babe; I will make some chicken for dinner. You had a stressful weekend. Go and rest." He kissed her on the forehead, and she left to go and sleep in their bed. She was so tired that she fell asleep immediately.

Marty called Colin. "Hey, tomorrow we have to get the order of protection for Rory. We were having brunch at the Club in Hartford. You never will guess who came to our table."

"Who?" Colin asked him.

"Shira and Honor Huntzberger with her two boys and husband in tow."

"Ok, I will call Tristan now since you are there with Rory and we don't want her to overhear your conversation. I also heard from Logan."

"Oh?"

"Yeah and guess who he ran into, Rosemary and Seth. Seth Carrington is Juliet's ex. Rose broke up that marriage."

"Rose is back with Seth Carrington? Well, then it's a good thing that Finn is moving on. He and Juliet seem to get along well this weekend."

"Yes, Steph and I were talking about that tonight ourselves."

"Colin, I think we need to tell Logan and Rory this week."

"Don't you want to wait until after the reunion?"

"Maybe, we can talk about it later, are you coming into the city tomorrow?

"Yes, we will leave here by seven, so I should be there by 8:30 or nine depending on traffic."

The two men said goodbye. Marty had let Rory sleep; he went and checked on her after he got off the phone with Colin and he didn't have the heart to wake her, so he made himself a sandwich and reviewed the recent emails he received. His phone rang, and he looked, it was from his sister. He wondered what had happened. They never saw her and Liam last night or this morning.

"Gabby, where have you been? We asked about you at Stars Hollow; Miss Patty said that you went for a walk. Rory thought maybe you two returned to the Inn."

"Yes, we did. I am sorry Marty I should have called you but, I didn't. How are things with Rory?"

"Good, she's asleep. She fell asleep about two hours ago, and I decided to let her sleep. Lately, she hasn't been sleeping well, so I figured she needs this. Everything ok with you?"

"Oh yes, I will see you both tomorrow at her checkup, right?" Gabby smiled at Liam as he massaged her feet as she was talking to her brother.

"Yes, we will be in tomorrow. Gab, are you sure everything is alright?"

"Marty it is and is everything alright with you and Rory?"

"Perfect, we put an offer on an apartment, and we are looking at dates for the wedding."

"Great, then. See you tomorrow big brother."

He hung up the phone and decided that he would go to bed too. Turning off his computer and the lights in the apartment he headed to bed.

The next morning, they pulled up to Doctor Lawson's office and parked their car in the parking garage. Entering the office, Rory signed herself in, and within a few minutes, she was called back by the nurse to have her lab work done. As she and Marty were waiting in the room, they talked about their birth plan. They had decided that they would feel comfortable using Gabby as their midwife. They would plan on doing everything natural unless she is having problems. In the birthing room, she wanted Marty and Ace's parents or mother if Nick did not feel comfortable. When Gabby came into the room, she was all smiles.

"Looks like your blood pressure is still under control. I guess that nap you had yesterday when you got home has helped."

Both Rory and Marty breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"So, is she out of the woods?"

"Well I think we can keep monitoring her blood pressure, but I don't see the need for her to come in for bloodwork or lab work. Dr. Lawson agrees. So next week you can just schedule your ultrasound. Now have you decided on your birth plan?' Gabby asked Rory.

"Yes, we have decided that we would like you to be our midwife and deliver your first nephew," Rory told her with a big smile on her face.

Gabby looked at her brother and Rory, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, if we have a complication, we trust that you would call in Paris and Dr. Lawson, plus you have the birthing rooms right here in your office."

"Great, then here is the form and you can fill it out and bring it with you next week. If you have trouble, ask me. Now you need to sign up for the Lamaze classes. "

"Yes, and we are going to sign up with our best friends, Colin and Steph," Rory said.

"Oh boy, just remind me not to teach your class, Colin and my brother will have me in stitches," Gabby began to laugh as she thought about her brother helping her with the breathing.

"Hey, you don't think I can do this?" Marty said.

"Oh yeah, he who passes out when he sees the sight of blood. I can see you now on the floor as poor Rory goes into labor."

Rory grabs his hand and says, "Babe, I know you can do this. I trust you."

He kisses her and then winks at his sister. "I got this!"

"Ok, we will see you next week for the ultrasound, but I know I will see you both sooner." She hugs them both goodbye and leaves the room. Rory and Marty leave the room and make their next appointment for the ultrasound.

They go to the parking garage and get into his car. He drops her off at work and continues to his office. He gets off the elevator and goes directly to his office. He begins to go through his messages. He pulls out the last message he has received from Tristan. He wonders now if it was coincidence or planned by the Huntzbergers to be at the club the morning they had brunch with the Hayden's. He hears a knock on his door and looks up; it was Colin.

"Hey, I will have Rita bring in coffee. Have you eaten yet? Should I have her order some breakfast sandwiches for us?" Marty says to Colin.

"Yes, that would be good. Let me drop my things off, and then we can talk and decide what we should do next. I will also bring in the computer, and we can go through it again."

Marty picked up his phone and had Rita order them a pot of coffee and breakfast sandwiches from the deli. When Colin entered back into his office carrying the laptop, Rita also came in with the tray with the coffee and breakfast sandwiches for them. She also brought in a bowl of fresh fruit and muffins for them.

"Colin, we need to tell Rory and Logan about this video and show them. I can't keep this from Rory anymore. Especially since Shira and Honor approached us at the Club."

"I am wondering if Shira and Honor are doing what Mitchum tells them, or if there is someone else involved like a member of the Fontane family. Finn was contacting his P.I., and I filled out papers for him to go through the items Odette had left at Logan's flat. Logan had them placed in a storage facility. She might have left some paper trail, letters, planner address book or old telephone number or cell phone."

"I think we need to get the order of protection for Rory to keep the Huntzberger family away from her, except for Logan. I am also wondering if we should hire a P.I. to look into Shira and Honor."

"You know that isn't a bad idea."

Marty's phone buzzed, and he answered it. "Yes, Rita,"

"A Mr. Dugrey is here to see you, Mr. Knight."

"Good, send him in."

"Well maybe, Tristan has some answers for us," Marty says to Colin hopefully.

Tristan comes in and shakes both their hands.

"Tristan, great to see you, maybe you can answer questions for us," Colin said as he shook Tristan's hand.

"Sure, I will try, then I will tell you what the FBI is planning on doing," he responded as he took a seat.

Marty poured him a cup of coffee and told him to help himself.

"Well, yesterday we were having brunch with the Haydens at the Country Club before we left to head back to the city. Shira Huntzberger and Honor came over to our table and made a fuss over Rory. She was surprised, and so was Mrs. Hayden and Christopher. I was wondering if we could have them followed and had an order of protection for Rory."

"I think that that is a good idea. Since this is a federal case, I can have someone watch Shira and Honor, we can also get a warrant to have the phone lines tapped. Now, do you want to hire private security for Rory?" Tristan asked them.

Marty looked at Colin and shrugged.

"Security is tight where she works. I don't think she will feel comfortable about having a bodyguard. I don't know what to do, but I need to keep her safe." Marty said.

Colin opened Ace's laptop and smiled as he typed in the password. He had heard Ace say these words often when he was with Rory. Tristan and Marty were looking through the financial papers that Tristan had brought while Colin searched through his computer. Suddenly Colin called them over to look at a file he just opened. In this file were recordings of phone conversations that he had received along with dates and copies of letters from Odette, dating back to Oct. 2013. These letters prove that he was not involved with her and the child could not be his. Tristan pulled out his thumb drive and proceeded to download the files. When he was finished, Colin continued to search through the documents and browser history. From the browser history, he found that Ace had recently been googling the name, Cecile Bouchard, along with Mrs. Fontane and the family. Clicking open he found the obituary of Odette Fontane, never mentioning how she died, but where she died. He asked Tristan if they had this information. He told them he had people looking into it now and that he just became aware of her death. He also found out that Cecile Bouchard was the grandmother of Odette Fontane and was deceased.

"Marty, didn't Rory say that Liza Majors told her that Cecile Bouchard was her roommate?" Tristan asked him.

"Yes, why?"

"Unless she is a time traveler, that woman has been dead for 15 years. I think it's time I go and talk to her. I hope she realizes that if she lies to an FBI agent, she will be committing a crime."

After another hour of searching through the computer, Tristan left, and the men decided to go and have lunch. The girls were meeting tonight to go to Ace's apartment, so Colin called Steph to make sure that she picks up Rory with their driver and he and Marty will meet them later.

Rory called Steph at three thirty and told her that she was able to leave today by four thirty and wondered if they could go to the apartment earlier. The timing was perfect for Steph, and she called Colin and had the car sent to her at four so that she could walk into the studio and see Rory. Steph arrived, she went to the reception desk and received a pass to go upstairs to Rory's office. As she exited the elevator, she was amazed at the activity she saw. People were rushing around and talking on the phone and shouting to each other. She was directed to Rory's office and gently knocked on the office door. Rory looked up from her computer and smiled at Steph. She motioned for her to come in and was finishing her phone conversation.

"Grandma, I have to go, no we won't be able to come for Friday night dinner this week. But maybe we can stop by on Sunday before we head back into the city. Ok, talk to you soon."

Rory hung up the phone and smiled at Steph.

"Friday night dinner again? Emily?"

"Emily! She is back and wants to start up the ritual, but it isn't going to happen. I don't think Marty would tolerate it."

"She doesn't give up, does she?"

"No. I am finished let me get my shoes back on my feet, and we can go."

Rory closed her lap top and then pulled out her heels from her desk drawer and took off her moccasins that she has been wearing while sitting in her office. She put her feet in her shoes and stood up.

"I need to wear sneakers; these shoes are killing me."

"I know what you are saying I am noticing my feet are also swelling by the end of the day," Steph complained.

The two girls left the office, and Rory stopped by Quentin's desk and said goodbye. As they left the studio, the car was waiting. The girls got in and went to Ace's apartment. Steph had the keys, and Rory had the extra keys. They walked in and then walked over to the locked closet. Rory put the key in the lock and opened the closet. It was a deep closet. It had extra suitcases, a filing cabinet, paintings, and clothing. Steph called Colin and told them that they found a filing cabinet. Colin and Marty were already in route, so the girls waited until they got there. Rory walked around the apartment looking at everything. She didn't have many memories of them here. Once Ace met her he stayed with her at her apartment. The men came at the same time the movers arrived. Colin directed the movers to take the clothes painting suitcases to the storage unit and to deliver the filing cabinet to his office. His secretary was there and would sign for the delivery. Colin and Steph left first, and Marty let Rory look around before they walked out. They were meeting Colin and Steph, and Carmines on Broadway. She walked around one more time looking out the window of the view of the city.

"Princess, are you ok with this?" Marty asked her gazing into her blue eyes.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am ready to begin my life with you. "

Arriving at the restaurant, they walked to the table that Steph and Colin were sitting at. As they sat down and order their drinks, Steph looks at them and smiles.

"Marty, I didn't get to tell you earlier, but they accepted your first offer on the apartment. Congratulations, you will be moving to the Orin building."

Steph raised her water glass. The girls clicked water glasses, and the boys clicked their beer glasses.

"Marty, everything is falling together. Now if we can find a place to get married in New Haven, then we can set our wedding date."

Rory smiled and squeezed Marty's hand. Marty put his arm around her then pulled her into him for a kiss.

The four of them had a relaxing dinner, and as they were leaving, they bumped into Logan and an attractive brunette.

"Rory, is that you?" the brunette said.

Rory looked at her, her voice sounded familiar and then she remembered who it was, it was Bobbie. Behind her was Logan, Nick, Phillip and Bill, Logan's old business partners. Nick, Phillip, Bill and Bobbie all went over to her hugging and saying hello. Logan stood back and smiled. Steph, Colin, and Marty were also standing back and watching the interaction of Rory with these friends of Logan.

"Marty come here, I want you to meet some of Logan's friends, this is Nick, Phillip, Bill and Bobbie and this is my fiancé Martin Knight," Rory said introducing him to Logan's friends.

"Ace," Logan said kissing her on the cheek, "This is Steph and Colin McCrae my best friends, and before you ask what is going on in your head Ace, I asked them to join my company."

"That's great, is Liam joining you tonight?" she asked him.

"Yes, we are meeting them here," Logan replied, and as he said those words, Gabby and Liam walked into the restaurant. Gabby went over to her brother and kissed him and hugged Rory. Liam also hugged and kissed Rory and Steph and shook hands with both Marty and Colin.

"Logan, I didn't know that American's were so friendly." Phillip teased him.

"Well Liam these are my friends and partners from HGB, I convinced them to come work with us, Phillip, Nick, Bill, and Bobbie." As they finished their introduction, Logan asked them to join them. However, Rory told them that they had finished dinner and were heading home.

"Bobbie, I hope that we will see each other again."

"I would love that," Bobbie replied. Rory gave her an air-kiss goodbye, and they left the restaurant.

Watching them leave, Bobbie turned to Logan, "She is pregnant and engaged...what happened Logan? I thought when you left you were going to get her back."

"I was too late, Bobbie," he told her sadly as he watched Marty and Rory leave with Steph and Colin.

As they stood outside waiting for their cars, Steph asked them if they were going to the LDB event. When Rory said yes, they both started talking about the theme and what they should wear. The theme was the Gatsby, and Steph suggested that they go and visit the vintage clothing shops that they have in the city. Maybe they could find something there.

Sitting at Carmine's Logan's group were talking and enjoying their meal. Logan had seen Bobbie on and off since he broke it off with Evee. When he left to start up his business, he tried to convince the group to join him back in the states. When he returned this last time, he confided in the financial problem that HPG was having and that his father was behind it. They had been with him during the engagement fiasco's both times, and they had become his friends the same way that Robert, Colin, and Finn had been. Philip was the financial genius of the group and convinced the others to go at least and see what his new company was about and what it had to offer. That was why they had returned with him back to New York. Bobbie watched Logan closely as his eyes followed Rory leaving the restaurant with her fiancé. She recognized his sadness; she had a similar situation, when her fiancé had left her for another woman a few years ago.

"Logan, why do you think you were too late?" Bobbi asked while she sipped her Cabernet Sauvignon.

"She moved on, and her heart is with him now. We all knew Marty back in Yale. They were friends then; he just happened to arrive first this time when she needed the help. I should never have left her nine years ago. But we are friends now, and as a wise man told me, it is better to have her in my life as a friend than not have her there at all."

"Can you be her friend?" Bobbie asked him.

"Yes, if Finn, Colin, Steph, and Jess can, so can I."

"Who's Jess?"

"An ex, actually he is a famous author now. Jess Mariano."

"Oh, I have heard of him, she dated him too?"

"When they were young, before I met her, and I found out recently she and Finn had dated. However, according to Finn, they decided that they would be happier as friends."

Logan took a drink of his scotch and quickly looked at his group,

"So, Gentlemen and Ladies here's to the new company ACENEWS."

"Cheers," They all said and clinked glasses. Gabby had been sitting quietly during Logan's conversation and tried not to eavesdrop, but she had heard enough to now understand Rory.

"Liam and I will be going this weekend to the Yale Reunion while you can get to know the city and our business. We hope to network with some people there and finish hiring the staff we need." Logan told the group.

Gabby turned to Liam and asked, "Yale, why would you go to a Yale Reunion."

Logan looked at her, "Gabby you didn't know that Liam graduated from Yale in 2001?"

Smiling at Logan, she took Liam's hand in hers and squeezed it, "No actually we never discussed it. I just find it interesting that you, Marty, Rory and Liam all have that connection."

"Well, it is, in fact, I met Liam at a reunion and an LDB event after I graduated." Logan continued with the story.

Liam looked at Logan and then said, "Yes, I was with my then fiancé and Logan was telling me how he had lost Rory."

"Gabby, would you like to go with me this weekend to the reunion and LDB party? I am sure Rory and Marty are going," Liam asked her.

"Yes, I will. I haven't been to Yale since my brother graduated and walking around the campus with you will be fun. Logan, did you ever hear how Rory and Marty first met? Apparently, he had passed out in front of her dorm room door their freshman year without clothes; it was the first guy she ever saw naked. Did you meet them that year too?

"No, I didn't know," Logan laughed. "Unfortunately, that year I had taken a year off and sunk a boat off Fiji, I met them at a coffee cart their sophomore year, my junior year."

"Yes, I remember that story, Colin likes to joke about it. Now they are best friends."

"Yes, they are and business partners."

"Strange how life works out isn't it? Now they are both going to be fathers at the same time too," Gabby continued. Just then the waiter came to the table with all the food and everyone began to eat.

Later in the car on the drive back to their apartment building, Gabby looked at Liam.

"I had a good time tonight but, you know, there is something about Logan that I just don't trust."

"What do you mean?" Liam asked her as he glanced at her profile.

"I am not sure; I just hope he stays away from Rory. She deserves to be happy."

"I agree with you, Gab. Come on let's go to my apartment." They parked the car and took the elevator to the 24th floor. Pulling her close to him when they entered his apartment he said, "I am glad you are going to come with me this weekend. And I am sure Rory and Marty will be happy that you will be there too."

He kissed her. Gabby put her arms around Liam's neck and she grinned,

"You know, I was only 13 years old when you graduated from college. I am so glad you waited till I grew up." she teased.

Kissing her on her nose he said, "I am too."

"Come on let's go to bed so I can show you how happy I am," she told him as she led him to the bedroom.


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69**

Rory was busy sitting at her desk working on the schedule for Dan's evening report. She heard her cell phone ring, and she found it lying under a pile of papers, without checking the number she answered it.

"Hi Rory, I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time?" Gabby said on the phone.

"No, not at all, I could use a break. Hold on a minute while I save my information." Rory quickly finished typing the words in the story on the computer that she was working on and then she hit save. She leaned back in the chair.

"Did you have a nice dinner last night with Logan and his friends?' Rory asked her.

"It was interesting, in fact that is one of the reasons why I am calling. We are going to the alumni weekend at Yale and an LDB event, whatever that is. Liam suggested I ask you for help in finding an outfit. I guess it has some strict dress code?"

"Wait, so you two are going? That is great. Of course, both Steph and I can help you. We are meeting at four today to go to a Vintage store to look for something to wear. Why don't you join us?"

"That's perfect because I have no patients this afternoon, in fact, Steph is my last patient at 1 pm."

"Great, why don't you call me when you can leave, and I will meet you both at the store."

"Sounds like a plan. See you then."

Smiling Rory sent Marty a text.

 _ **Hey, your sister and Liam will be attending the reunion and LDB event with us this weekend. I will look for something for you to wear too. LUV U**_

 _ **Wait, why can't I wear a suit I have already? M**_

 _ **Ask Colin and Finn. It would interfere with the INTEGRITY OF THE EVENT. lol**_ _R_

Marty was looking at his message when Colin walked into the conference room.

"What's the matter, did you get bad news or something?" Colin asked him raising his eyebrow.

"Well, not really but it is strange, Rory just sent me a message that Liam and Gabby are also going to the reunion and event this weekend when she said she was going to get me something to wear. And I had to ask you why I needed something to wear different than my suit."

"Ahh, Marty. That's right you never did attend one of these events before, members and their guests only. Well, it is a very secretive group, and these parties or events all have special themes. This year the theme is the Great Gatsby, so we dress in authentic clothing, dance to the music of the time and feast on the food and drink the drinks of this period in history."

"You're saying it is a costume party?

"No, more than that, but don't worry, I have a tailor who will make our suits for the evening. We will put F Scott Fitzgerald to shame."

"Send Rory a message and tell her that Colin has you covered."

"Ok, I will. Now do you have the order of protection for Rory signed and sent over to the police station and FBI?" he asked Colin as he quickly sent a message back to Rory.

"After talking with Dugray, he put it on hold for now. Instead, he has a female agent assigned to keep her safe, in fact, she is now undercover at the studio. I got clearance from Chris, and he has her added to her team as we speak."

"Ok, I guess that is better, but how are we going to make sure that she is safe?"

"Brie and Dan are aware of the situation, do you trust them, Marty?"

"Yes, I do, but Colin if the Huntzbergers try to do anything to harm her or the baby, I don't know what I would do."

"Don't worry; I am sure that they won't do anything to her."

"Rory do you have a minute?" Christopher asked when he came to her office.

"Sure Chris, I will be right out," she replied as she finished typing and saving the schedule changes on her computer. She walked out of her office into the fishbowl. Dan, Chris, and Brie were standing next to an attractive brunette around her age.

"Rory, this is Jenny, she is going to be your new intern. I am assigning her to your team. Things are getting crazy around here with the election that I thought you could use the extra help."

"Hi Jenny, nice to have you join our team," Rory told her. The group stood around for a few minutes then Jenny followed Rory back to her office. Jenny was curious about her. So, this was the woman that Tristan lost his heart to when he was 16 years old, she thought.

"Jenny, you will be doing assignments and fact-checking for me, Dan and Brie. Feel free to use any of the open computers on the floor. Right now, I am finishing up tonight's schedule. Dan will be coming in around 2:30 to go over tonight's show and then I am leaving. I have an appointment. Any questions?" Rory asked.

"No, I think I understand everything, I guess I will go find a computer desk and get busy. Is there anything you need me to work on?" Jenny asked her.

"Well, there is, I just got this report about ISIS using human shields in Mosul, I need you to do some fact checking before I hand this article over to Brie to write."

"Ok, is there anything else you need?" Jenny asked her wondering if she would send her out to fetch her water or something.

"No thanks, Jenny," Rory said with a smile.

Jenny went out and sat at a computer that was facing towards Rory's office so that she could keep an eye on her. She quickly called Tristan.

"Just met your old flame and she is very pretty. She has an appointment today; do you want me to follow?"

"No, she is meeting Steph, so she should be ok, in fact, Colin is having his car pick them up. He also will be with them. By the way are you jealous?"

"Well, no…"

"Jenny she is engaged to be married, it was a crush."

"Ok, well I better go to work, I am supposed to be doing some fact checking."

Jenny started doing her work and began to do some of the fact-checking. Brie came by and asked her if she needed any help. Then Quentin stopped by to make sure that she had everything she needed. She noticed that Dan walked into her office around two thirty and they sat and began talking. Rory was on the computer and Dan was leaning over her shoulder as she typed. Then he walked around the room and went to the printer going over the information she printed out. When they both were satisfied, he smiled and walked out of the office. He went over to Brie and then they both left for his office.

Rory closed her computer and began to put her shoes on. She left to use the ladies room and check her makeup before going to the Vintage Clothing store. As she was applying her lip gloss, her phone rang, pulling it out of her bag she noticed it was from Steph.

"Hey, are we still meeting at the store?"

"Yes, but my appointment finished early, Gabby is with me now, and we are in the lobby of your building. We came to pick you up are you ready?"

"Yes, leaving the ladies' room now and going to the elevator. See you soon."

The car brought them to the New York Vintage store in Chelsea, not far from where Rory and Marty lived. Steph had made an appointment for the three of them to try on dresses. They could also tailor anything, so it would fit them comfortably since two women were pregnant. The women had fun trying on the dresses and accessories that they would need. Because the dresses were loose fitting, Stephanie and Rory were able to find a dress that would fit their midsection and have the top altered.

The sales associate told the three women the history of the fashions and the colors that the women wore back then. Rory ended up choosing a Metallic lace evening dress fashioned in layers connected at the shoulders and hip line. The dress had a slip of black satin; with an outer layer made from black knotted net lace embroidered with black silk floss leaves and a zigzag pattern of burnished gold floss. It had a gold lamé rose at the shoulder and the black-and-gold Deco clasp at the hipline.

Stephanie found a Beaded chiffon flapper dress. This dress had been in the private collection of a titled lady trained as an opera singer. The neckline had a border of openwork. The beaded work featured many geometric designs. The only hint of color was the green ribbon cummerbund at the hipline which glittered with rhinestones and silver-lined crystal beads. With a bit of tailoring on the sides and top the dress would look stunning on Stephanie.

Gabby had the most fun trying on the different styles, and not being pregnant she had the most styles and dresses to choose from. The girls convinced her to go away from her comfort zone and chose a Beaded Chantilly lace flapper dress. This dress was black Chantilly lace with a wide hem that had a border of bronze metallic lace, which was embellished with large crystals, black beads, silver beads, and rhinestones. It was a loose fitting, straight style with a bodice that had a large bias-draped lapels above the waist and a draped bias skirt panel below. The dress slips on without closures. The girls learned that black was dominant in the women's fashion of the 1920's especially black lace. It signified dignity, elegance, and mystery. The girls had fun finding accessories for their dresses. They all chose beaded headbands and long gloves to wear with their dresses. They would be able to pick the dresses up on Thursday.

They left the store and decided to have dinner together at the Green Table at the Chelsea Market. It was a farm to organic table restaurant. They all sat down and relaxed and ordered their meal.

Gabby had ever been alone with Steph and Rory and was interested in how they met.

"Have you girls been friends for a long time?" Gabby asked them.

"Well, actually I met Steph through Logan. I was in the bathroom at a library in Yale and Steph walked into the bathroom wearing a ball gown and a gorilla mask," Rory answered.

"Really when was this?" Gabby asked laughing.

"Your sophomore year, right Rory?"

"Yes, I was on the way to an LDB function. I was drunk, and Finn was driving, and I had to stop and use the bathroom. I think we all had gorilla masks on that night," Steph explained.

Rory then added, "I was doing an article for the Yale Daily News, and it was about this secret society. Long story short, I referred to her as Gorilla Girl after that, and later I became initiated in the LDB, I ended the first event by jumping off a seven-foot scaffolding with an umbrella and cable attached to my waist."

"Then how did you become friends and what does this have to do with Logan Huntzberger?" Gabby asked.

"Logan was a third-generation member of this secret society along with Finn, Colin, and Steph. I wanted to find out about this secret society and write a story for the paper, Logan got permission to do it, and then we jumped off the scaffolding. I have a photo of it at home. I will show it to you sometime," Rory told her.

"So how did you girls get to be such good friends?"

"Rory was dating Logan during college, and we all hung out together, I started to date Colin on and off, I had known Logan since we were kids. Rory was the first girlfriend that Logan ever had. When they broke up we didn't hear from her for a few years, then Finn ran into her and had a party for her. We missed each other and became best friends."

"Yes, my best friend. She has been by my side for the last four years, and now we are going to have babies the same age." Rory put her head on Steph's shoulder.

"You girls are lucky to have each other."

"Well, you are too because you are part of us now. Soon you will be my sister," Rory told her.

The girls enjoyed their meal talking and planning how they would style their hair for this event. Soon it was time to leave each other. Steph called the car and offered to take everyone home, but Gabby decided to take a cab. Steph insisted on taking Rory back to her place since it was only a few blocks. Rory got into the car. She had so much fun being with the girls; she had forgotten what it was like to have a girl's night out.

She entered her apartment, but it was still early, and Marty hadn't made it home, yet. She went and changed into comfortable clothes. She opened the freezer and took out her favorite chocolate mocha chunk ice cream and made herself a dish. She was enjoying it watching TV when Marty came home.

"Hi Princess, did you have fun?"

Kissing him, she hugged him tightly and held his hand, as they walked together to the couch and sat down. She leaned her head on his shoulder telling him, "I missed you today. We found dresses, and we will pick them up on Thursday."

"I am glad. It sounds like you had a good time. I am all set with my outfit too. Colin has a tailor that I will go with him tomorrow to get fitted for our outfits. What color are you wearing?"

"Black with gold lace. It is pretty, and they were able to adjust it so that the baby bump isn't so obvious."

"I love that bump," he said as he gently rubbed it. They felt the baby kick. He leaned down and tenderly kissed her belly and began to talk to the baby.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her.

"No, we ate at the Green Table, I did bring you home a chicken pot pie I can warm it up in the oven."

"That sounds delicious. Let me go and change while you warm it up."

He left to go to the bedroom and she place the pot pie in the microwave oven to warm it for him.

Logan was meeting with his real estate agent signing the papers to his new home. He was excited to have his place and not worrying if his sister, mother, or father would decide to stop by unexpectedly in the family apartment. He was glad that it came on the market when it did. He wondered about the owner, but his agent had said that it was the wish of the owner not to be involved in the sale. The apartment was scheduled to be professionally cleaned, something the previous owner was doing, so he would be able to move in before the weekend, four days before he anticipated. He returned to his apartment and began to sort out his belongings. It wouldn't take him long since most of his items had been stored in London and were being shipped directly to his new place on the seventh of November. Looking around he decided that the few suitcases he needed to pack could be done on Thursday evening, so he went and poured himself a scotch. As he was making his drink, his phone rang. Looking at the caller number he groaned. It was his father. His first instinct was to ignore it, but due to what he now knows he decided to answer it to see what his father wanted from him.

"Dad, what do I owe the honor of this call?"

"Logan, I received an invitation from Yale University Alumni asking HPG to be a speaker for the Yale Daily News that they are hosting on Saturday. Since I cannot attend, I would like it if you were the speaker. Having been a member of the Daily News and the heir to HPG, I figured you would do a great job."

"Did you forget that I have broken my ties with you and your company?"

"Logan, you are a Huntzberger, and as a Huntzberger you owe it to the business."

"Listen, Dad…"

"No, you listen to me Logan, you are going to be the speaker for this event."

"Fine, I am going anyways. Will you be attending the event this weekend?"

"No, I am still out of the country and will be for at least until the holidays. Please spend time with your mother and sister, so they are not alone."

"Fine, goodbye." Logan hit the end button on his phone.

What Logan didn't know was that Mitchum was arrested by the FBI and was now under investigation for the blackmail of Ace Gerrard and money laundering with the Fontanes.

Logan was surprised with this call. He had no idea that his father had been asked to speak at this event. He called Liam to get some advice.

"Liam, Logan here. Are you busy?"

"No actually I just walked into my apartment. Why?"

"Do you have any dinner plans? I just got off the phone with my dad, and I need to talk to someone. "

"No, Gabby is out with the girls so how about we meet?"

"Let's meet at Finn's Restaurant Burke and Wills, how about at six o'clock?"

"That sounds perfect, see you then."

Liam was very surprised to get that call and wondered what was up. He picked up his keys, quickly sending Gabby a text and left to meet Logan at Burke and Wills on west 79th St.

Liam walked into the restaurant first and asked for a table for two; he also gave the name Huntzberger just in case Logan had made reservations. When he gave Logan's name, the hostess went on the phone, she then escorted him to a private booth in the back of the club. He sat down and ordered his bourbon and Finn himself brought it over.

"Liam, good to see you mate. Logan said he asked you to stop by." He turned to the hostess and told him to bring a bottle of Macallan over to the table and two glasses. From the sound of Logan on the phone, he figured he needed it. Finn was on his way to visit Juliet when he got the call. He quickly texted her and told her that he had a meeting and would stop by later if it was ok. He left his phone on the table waiting for her reply.

Liam felt his phone ring, inside his breast pocket. He excused himself and walked to an alcove, so he could take the call.

"Hey, sorry I wasn't there to greet you when you came home. Did you have fun?" He said to Gabby when he answered the phone.

"Yes, I did, in fact, we were all successful. We pick up our dresses on Thursday."

"Well, Logan called, so I am having dinner with him. Did you eat already?"

"Yes, we ate at the Green Table, well I am at my apartment and if you get back early come over here tonight."

"That sounds like a good plan. I will see you later,"

Liam returned to the table and saw that Logan had arrived. He reached over and shook his hand.

"Logan, what's going on?" Liam asked him.

The waitress came over with some appetizers that Finn had ordered for the table. Once she left Logan looked at the men.

"My dad asked me to speak at the Yale Daily News luncheon at the Yale reunion on Saturday. Apparently, he was supposed to speak, but he is away until the holidays he said. I have no idea where he is. He told me that since I am the heir to HPG that I had to do it."

"I don't understand, Logan, why is that a bad thing?" Finn asked him. They always knew that Logan was the heir of the business, this sounds like Mitchum is letting him start now.

"Because I am no longer part of the family business. I removed my money when I came back in June to start up my business. Plus, I have my uncle looking into the HPG finances. Apparently, my father has left the HPG in some financial problems."

"Logan, maybe this is a chance for you to straighten out the problems that your father caused," Liam suggested.

"Yeah, your right. I guess I am going to have to ask Doyle and Rory for some help with this. Finn do you think Rory might agree to talk at the luncheon. I am sure Doyle would."

"The only way to find out, Mate is to give her a call and ask," Finn replied filling his dish with the mussels he ordered for the table.

The men sat and ate the small plate appetizers that Finn had ordered, and they ordered a second selection. They all left around seven pm, leaving for different destinations. Finn called Juliet and went over to see her, Liam went back to Gabby's apartment, and Logan found himself knocking on Bobbie's hotel room door.

"Hey, Logan. I didn't expect to see you tonight. Is everything ok?" she asked him to let him into her suite.

"Well, I just had dinner with Finn and Liam. My dad called tonight and asked me to give be the keynote speaker at the Yale Daily News Luncheon that they are having at the Alumni day at Yale. Hey, are you doing anything this weekend? Why don't you join me? Steph, Colin, Finn, Rory will all be there. It should be fun. Then you can join us for a party after."

"Okay, I wasn't doing anything special this weekend," Bobbie replied.

"Great, I will give you the information later this week. See you later," Logan said as he walked to the door.

"Goodnight Logan, was there anything else?" she asked him

"No, I will see you and the guys tomorrow at the studio. Good night."

Finn had left the restaurant and called Colin.

"Hey Finn, what's up?"

"I just had dinner with Logan. He is speaking at the Yale Reunion representing HPG. They were supposed to be one of the speakers at their luncheon. Apparently the "Dark Lord" will be out of the country and wants Logan to take his place."

"Does he know where his father is?"

"No, he was surprised and had no idea that HPG was going to be a part of the reunion. He mentioned he was going to ask Rory and Doyle to help him with the speech. I was wondering; I think we need to show Rory and Logan the video before the reunion."

"Marty will agree with you. He was asking me about it today, Tristan has an agent undercover working at her office."

"Well I can have my P.I. attend the reunion plus with us around she should be safe. By the way, since I was on the planning committee for the LDB event, I moved it to my bar in the city. I am using the Manhattan Cricket Club as the event site. I have Limos arranged to pick up all the guests at their homes and bring them to the club."

"Was any of the older members invited this time, like our parent's generation?"

"No, this time it was for members 2000 - 2015."

"That sounds like a great plan, so when do you think we should meet with Logan and Rory.?"

"I am thinking tomorrow, why don't you talk to Marty and let's plan on meeting in your office."

The men ended their conversation. Colin quickly texted Marty and told him that they needed to talk.

Marty had just finished his dinner when he got the text from Colin. Rory looked at Marty and asked him if everything was ok.

"I will know in a moment," he told her as he kissed her and walked into the other room to call Colin.

"Colin, what's up?"

"Finn just called, he had dinner with Logan. He suggests that we meet tomorrow and show Logan and Rory the video."

"Together or separate?" Marty asked him. He wasn't sure how Rory would take it if she would be upset if she saw it alone or if it would be better if they both saw it together.

"I am thinking together so that Rory will be able to see Logan's reaction. She needs to realize that she is in danger."

"I know, I just don't want her to start those nightmares again, Colin. Maybe we should wait."

"I know Marty, I agree, but somehow if we find out what was going on, she will be able to move on, and the two of you will be able to plan your wedding and have your son without any fears."

"Ok, I will talk to her and tell her she has a meeting with us tomorrow. We also need to go through that filing cabinet."

'See you tomorrow morning." Colin ended the call and walked into the main room of their New York apartment. Steph was curled up on the couch. She was beginning to show more. Sitting beside her on their couch, he pulled her into his lap and kissed her.

"What's that for?" she asked him.

"Just letting you know how much I love you," he answered.

She smiled up and him and put her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him as they watched the flames flicker in the fireplace.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70**

With the election approaching the television studio was busier than normal. With all the new information coming in, Dan and Quentin were both being sent to the Republican Convention and Democratic Convention to cover the election coverage. Rory was chasing down stories and fact-checking. She was getting a headache with all the information that was coming up on the computer and crossing her desk. She was relieved that today was Wednesday and that she would go to Yoga class later.

She grabbed her pile of papers and walked out of her office heading to where Quentin and Dan were working in the conference room. She set the recent pile of information in front of them and walked out. Jenny came up behind her and handed her some more information that she was told to check. Rory sighed and told her thank you. Just then Chad, one of the news editors asked her to come to his computer. A small article appeared about an arrest of a prominent media mogul in England. No specific person was mentioned, and he wondered if he should follow it. Rory looked at it and told him to check it out. It might be a good distraction but reminded him to fact check since lately a lot of misinformation was coming through the AP wires. She also made sure her team was checking the computer news, especially Facebook and Twitter. Things were being reported as truth when in fact it wasn't. As a journalist who believed in integrity, she did not want her show to be link with any of these untrue stories.

She just walked into her office when her cell phone rang. Sitting down in her chair, she kicked off her shoes and answered the phone. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out her moccasins.

"Rory Gilmore," she answered without checking the caller id.

"Hey Ace, you sound pretty official today," Logan chuckled into the phone.

"Hi Logan, it's been a busy morning, is there something I can help you with?" she asked him. She wanted to be polite and be his friend, but she didn't want to give him the wrong impression. She was with Marty now.

"Yes, there is, HPG has been asked to speak at the Yale alumni luncheon, and I was wondering if you can help me. Now before you say that you don't work for HPG, I thought that since you were an editor for the Yale Daily News, it would be good to show how successful the editors have become. I spoke with Doyle, and he is coming, Paris too, and they are both willing to be on the panel. I have a few others who were either staffers or editors since this alumnus is for 2000 - 2015."

"Logan, since you put it like that, I guess so. What do you want to talk about exactly?"

"I figured we could meet today. It would be you, me, Doyle, and Paris. I have a few talking points I would like to go over. Today is the only time Doyle and Paris can get a sitter before Saturday. What do you say Ace?"

"Ok, what time?" she asked him.

"Paris and Doyle are meeting me here in my office at three, can you make it then?"

She looked at her clock; it was noon now. "Yes, let me make sure my team has everything that they need. Oh, Logan, one of my assistant producers used to be on my staff when I was the editor. Do you mind if I ask her to come?"

"Sure, who is it?

"Joanie, you probably will recognize her when you see her. But maybe not since you didn't spend much time in the newsroom when we were in school."

Logan chuckled, "Nice, ok see you both later, around three. Park in the lot, and it is building 3."

"Bye Logan"

She ended her call and quickly sent a text to Marty

 _ **Marty – I have a meeting at three and then I will go to Yoga after it is finished. I will let you know what time I will be arriving home. Love you R**_

She called the car service and told them she would need a car at 2:45.

Marty got Rory's text and walked over to Colin's office; he knocked before he walked in.

"Colin, did you call Logan yet? I just received a message from Rory, and she has a meeting at three today, so I don't think she will be available to meet tonight."

"No, I haven't, let me try now."

Colin picks up his office phone and calls Logan, "Logan it's Colin, are you available to stop by my office this afternoon I have some information for you."

"Gee Colin, can it wait? I have a meeting all afternoon, and one of the meetings has to do with the Yale speech I have to give. Can we do it after the reunion?"

Colin had the phone on speaker so that Marty could hear. Marty nodded yes, he would prefer to put less stress on Rory, and she had to go in next week for the next ultrasound. He didn't want her to worry anymore.

"Ok, I think the information I have can wait until after the reunion."

"Colin, I would love to talk longer but my 12:30 appointment just walked in," Logan said as he hung up.

Bobbie, Phillip, Nick, and Bill walked into his office.

"Wow, Logan this is very impressive," Nick said as he looked around.

"Come on let me give you a tour of the place. We can walk past Liam's office, and he can join us."

Knocking on Liam's door, Logan popped his head in, "Liam I want to show the guys around. Would you like to join us and explain how things are going to work?"

"Sure Logan, let me tell Jocelyn to call me when my one o'clock arrives. I think we have our head news writer/reporter; he has written articles for the Times. "

"Great, that will be a coup for us," Logan said as he began to lead his friends around the studio. Logan and Liam gave Bobbie, Phillip, Nick, and Bill a tour and then they sat down to discuss what jobs they could do in the business. Logan wanted Bobbie and Phil to work in the advertising, getting businesses to help support and bringing money in. Nick was the money man having his degree in finance, and Bill knew a lot about computers and technology. Liam agreed but had to leave when he got a message that his one o'clock had arrived. He said good bye and left.

Liam walked into his office and met a young man with glasses and reddish blonde hair.

"Hello, I am Liam Cooper, and you must be Glenn Babble."

"Yes, it's nice to meet you in person."

"You are interested in leaving the Times?" Liam asked him.

"Yes, the times picked up a few of my articles when I was in college, then I went and wrote as a freelance writer. Some of my articles have been in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Conde Nast. Recently I have decided that most people are finding information on the computers, but it isn't real news, this reality news is bothering me. So, when I heard about your plan, I thought this would be a good platform for me."

"Well I have read your articles, and I see you are a fellow Eli. I graduated in 2001. When did you graduate?"

"In 2007."

"Are you going to the reunion this weekend? Wait, were you on the paper with Doyle McMaster?" Liam asked him.

"Yes, in fact, Doyle was the one that suggested I contact you. We met out in California, and he told me about this job."

"You were on the paper and wrote with Rory Gilmore?"

"Yes, does Rory work here now? She was a great editor."

"No Rory is working for CBS and is engaged to be married."

"Oh, don't tell me Logan finally decided to settle down and marry her."

Just then Logan walked into the room. With his ever-present grin on his face, he said, "Did I hear someone say my name?" He holds his hand out to Glenn and looks at him.

"You look familiar, but I can't place you," Logan says as he takes the man's hand.

"Glenn Babble, I was on the Yale Daily news with you in 05 and 06 when you would decide to come in."

"I remember the face, but you look different," Logan said.

Glenn looked a lot different. After leaving college, he became an avid bike rider and would work out at the gym, losing about 50 lbs.

"Are you interested in coming to work for us?" Logan asked him.

"Yes, very interested. I was just telling Liam, I am interested in reporting real news and the internet seems where everyone is going to read the news now especially on their iPads and other personal devices."

"That is great news and welcome aboard, Liam, why don't you have Jocelyn print out the contracts and have Glenn sign them."

"Glenn, is it possible for you to hang around? I have a meeting with Doyle McMaster, Paris Gellar, and Rory Gilmore, I am asking them to help me at the Yale Reunion on Saturday to do a panel for the Yale Daily news luncheon. I think Rory is bringing over another staffer you might remember, Joanie. I thought we could brainstorm some ideas for this. Also, maybe network a bit."

"Yes, that would be great. I liked Rory and Joanie, and it would be great seeing them both again."

"Ok, I have to go and get ready for that meeting, it will be in the conference room to your left. See you there." He shook Glenn's hand and smiled at Liam. Finally, things were falling into place. He will be moving into his new apartment. Soon he will be out of the hands of his father. Logan was feeling very confident now.

The car service brought Rory to Silver Cup Studios in Long Island City, NY by 3 pm. She hopes she wasn't late. Traffic was tough plus there was a last-minute story approval she had to take care of before she left. The new assistant Jennifer also had a lot of questions about where she was going. She thought it odd since she had already told Dan and Brie about the meeting. She walked into the studio and saw Liam walking out of his office with a nice-looking man around her age. Liam saw her, and the two men walked towards her.

"Rory, is that you?" Glenn said as he walked towards her.

"Glenn, is that you?" Rory laughed and met him halfway and hugged him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Well I am going to work for Liam and Logan, and Logan asked me to stay to talk about a panel for the Yale Reunion luncheon."

Liam walked over and hugged her. "How are you feeling?"

"Good today Liam, and you can report back to Gabby that I will call her after I come back from my Yoga class."

Liam laughed and led them to the conference room. Logan and Doyle and Paris were there. Paris jumped up as soon as she saw Rory and went over.

"Sorry I am late Logan, but I can't stay long. I have another place I have to be by 4:30," she said as soon as she sat down.

"It's ok Ace, I know how busy you are," he said smiling at her. He was glad that they could at least work together again.

"Ok, Ror, I thought you were bringing Joanie with you."

"Sorry Logan, she is in the middle of doing a story for the election and couldn't get away last minute. She will be at the Yale reunion I talked her into it."

Paris had been sitting at the table staring at Glenn. Finally, she said, "I know you. You were on the paper with us, but you can't be Glenn; he was much fatter. Who are you?" Paris said rudely.

Glenn's face became red, Paris hadn't changed at all, still condescending and rude. Seeing and feeling Glenn's distress, Rory put her hand on his and said, "Paris, this is Glenn. He is now working for Logan and Liam after writing for the New York Times and Washington Post."

"Good for you Glenn, glad someone is making a living from journalism," she remarked.

"Ok, let me fill you in, I received a phone call from my father asking me to head up as the keynote speaker at the Saturday luncheon at the reunion. He was supposed to do it, but now he finds himself out of the country. The Yale Daily News is sponsoring it, and I had an Idea if we set up a panel discussion talking about how journalism has changed in the last ten years since we were on the paper, we could talk about our jobs and how reporting the news has changed."

Immediately Paris interrupted, "Well since I am no longer in this field, I don't think I need to be here, but I will be happy to give you my opinions."

Rory looked at Logan and smirked, "Thank you Paris," Logan said.

The group sat there for the next forty-five minutes discussing what topics they should discuss. When they finished everyone got up to leave, and Rory went to send a message for her ride when Logan walked over to her.

"Ace, thanks for helping. It was good to work like this together again. I have missed it."

"Thanks, Logan, it was fun. Listen I have to call for my ride back into the city."

"Hey, let me drive you back, I am leaving now."

"Thanks, Logan."

He led her to his car, and they both got in. As they were driving back, he asked her how things were going at the studio. She smiled at him and said things are going fine.

He asked her where he could drop her off. She told him where she was going, and he drove her to the Yoga studio. He parked the car and walked with her toward the studio. As they got to the door, Juliet walked in. "Rory, Logan?" Juliet said as she saw them walking together.

Logan leaned over and hugged Juliet. "Logan, it is so good to see you. It has been such a long time."

Rory turned to Logan and said, "Thanks again for the ride. I will see you Saturday at the panel, and if there is anything else you need give me a call."

He gently placed his hand on her arm and leaned in and kissed her cheek. Rory turned and entered the studio.

Juliet looked at Logan and gave him a sad smile, "You let her walk away, didn't you," she said.

"Yes, I could kick myself too. Juliet, let's meet sometime and catch up," he said.

"Well I am going to the reunion this weekend and the LDB event maybe we can talk there."

"Great I will see you then." He left and drove over to his new apartment.

He walked into his apartment and looked around. He walked over to the windows and looked out at the beautiful view of the city. If only he had someone to share this with, he thought sadly. He turned and began to open the boxes of his things that were delivered earlier that day.

After yoga, Rory went back to Steph's apartment since Colin and Marty were bringing home dinner. The two girls walked into the apartment and smelled Mexican Food. Smiling Rory walked over to her fiancé who was sitting down on a couch relaxing with a beer in his hand and talking to Colin about some case.

She walked over to him and took his beer away and gave him a big kiss.

She handed him his beer back and then sat on his lap. He kissed her again, and she put her head on his shoulder.

"Tired babe?" he asked her.

"And hungry, how was your day?" she asked sitting up and looking into his brown eyes.

Before he could answer, Steph told them that dinner was on the table. Hand in hand they walked into the dining room area where the table was set up. They had bought a variety of food and Rory helped herself to the chicken enchilada, chip, and salsa.

"So how did your three o'clock meeting go," Marty asked her as he dished out food for himself.

"Oh, it was great, I went to Logan and Liam's new place in Long Island City and met Doyle, Paris and Glenn Babble there. We are all going to be on a panel for the Yale Daily News Luncheon."

"You met with Logan today? You never told me that," Marty said sounding a little annoyed.

Rory looked at him funny, "Yes, he was my three o'clock appointment. He called and asked if I would be interested in helping with this panel since I was a Yale Daily News Editor. Doyle and Paris were also past editor's, and they are on the panel too."

"Oh, how did you get there?" he asked.

"I called the car service; then Logan brought me to my yoga class when it was over."

Marty didn't say anything, and soon everyone began to feel uncomfortable with the silence at the table. Rory got up and threw her half-eaten enchilada away. She went over to sit by the fireplace where the TV was. As she was sitting there her phone pinged letting her know she had a message from work. She got up and walked over to her purse to get her phone. Marty was watching her. She opened her message and looked shocked.

"Colin, Mitchum Huntzberger has been arrested. I just got a message from Chad. He is one of the news editors at the station. He was working on a story that came through before I left, and he just got the information. Marty, I have to get back to the studio." She picked up her phone to call the car service. Marty took it from her.

"Come on, I drove over here tonight; I will take you."

He grabbed their coat and things then kissed Steph goodbye and began to head out the door. Rory quickly thanked Steph and Colin and kissed them both on the cheek she got on the elevator with Marty and headed to the parking garage to get in his car.

It was seven o'clock when she walked into Studio 57. She greeted the night watchman and security guard before she showed them her ID. She then quickly got Marty an ID and went to her floor and office. Rory head quickly inside the fishbowl and saw Nick, Dan, and Brie talking to each other.

"Dan, what's going on?"

Marty stood behind her, looking at Dan and Brie. They both said hi to Marty and introduced him to Chad.

"Ror, as you know Chad saw that blurb that came over the computer about a newspaper mogul being arrested outside of London today. So, he followed it and did some fact checking. Mitchum Huntzberger was taken into custody for questioning. According to our sources, they had received a tip from someone about his financial dealings. The source reported that HPG is having major financial problems."

She turned to Marty and said, "Marty call Colin to find out if he knows what's going on and if Logan is ok."

Marty nodded and walked over to a corner of the busy newsroom so that he could call Colin, but instead he called Logan.

Logan was still in his new apartment unboxing his belongings. He was surprised when he saw Marty's number come up on his caller ID. The first thing he thought was something was wrong with Rory.

"Hi Marty, is Rory ok?"

"Yes Logan, in fact, she asked me to call you. Have you spoken to your father at all?"

"Yes, I spoke to him yesterday evening. He called and asked me to be the Keynote Speaker for the Yale Daily News luncheon on Saturday. Why?"

"Listen, Logan; I am with Rory at CBS, there is a story that is going to break about your father. I think you better call Colin and get over here right away."

"Marty, what's going on?"

"Listen, Logan. I think you should call Colin and get over here."

Marty then quickly sent Colin a text,

 _ **Colin Bring the laptop with you. You and Logan need to get down to Studio 57 ASAP**_. M

After shooting off that text, he quickly called Tristan.

"Tristan, what's going on?"

"Marty? What do you mean what's going on?" Tristan replied all confused.

"Well I am at Studio 57 with Rory, she got called to come to the studio a story is breaking that Mitchum Huntzberger is being held for questioning. Do you know anything about this?"

"No, let me make some calls. Are you in the studio? Ok, I will be right down as soon as I have some answers."

Marty walked back to the group, Rory was sitting down, and he put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it letting her know that he was there. She looked up at him and turned and kissed his hand. He just hoped she will still feel like this when he, Colin and Tristan showed her the video.

"What do you know so far?" he asked her as she was scrolling through the information that Chad had found.

"Apparently he has been investigated as a person of interest for some time. "Interpol" has been checking his finances. Someone or something alerted them seven months ago, and now they have enough evidence to hold him."

"I called Colin, and I also called Logan. He and Logan are both coming down here."

No sooner did he finish the sentence the elevator pinged, and Colin and Logan came rushing into the newsroom. Rory looked up and stood up. She walked over to Logan and embraced him. He held her tightly back.

"Come on, let's go into my office. Logan, I want to help. I am so sorry."

Holding her shoulders, he leaned back and looked into her blue eyes that were beginning to fill with tears. He pulled her into his chest again and said, "It will be ok Ace."

Logan turned to Marty and reached out to shake his hand, "Marty, thank you. You didn't have to call me. I appreciate it, man."

Marty took his hand and said, "That's what friends do, Logan."

Logan smiled at him, and they all turned to walk into Rory's office. Before she closed the door, she motioned for Dan to join them too. He knew Logan, worked for HPG before maybe he could help share some insight.

"Logan, before we had our meeting today, Chad my news editor saw a small article that came across the computer about a newspaper mogul that was arrested. I told him to follow the lead and do some fact checking. There are so much false news reports like the Wikileaks that I don't want to report anything unless I know it's real. We were at Colin and Steph's when I got the message 25 minutes ago to come to the studio. Marty brought me down."

"What does it say?" Logan asked her. She turned her computer on and pulled up the information. He walked over and leaned over her shoulder and read the information that was on the screen. He stood there in shock.

"Oh my God," Logan began to pace back and forth thinking out loud he said, "First I have to do damage control. I need to get a hold of Liam and my Uncle Wes. Colin could you contact my father's lawyers in England and find out what they know. I also have to call my mother and sister."

Looking sadly at Logan, Colin spoke up, "Logan before you call your mother and sister we need to talk. Dan, will you call Liam and see if he can get down here?"

Dan walked out of the office to the nearest desk and made the call to Liam. Colin turned to Rory and told her to lock her door. She looked up at Marty and Colin and wondered why they wanted the door locked. She got up and locked it.

"Rory, I need you to darken the shades, so we have privacy. I need to show both you and Logan something important."

"Colin, Marty what's wrong? You're scaring me," she looked at them anxiously.

"Babe, you and Logan need to look at Ace's Laptop. We were going over the content, and we found this video."

She looked at Colin and Marty… Ace's Laptop… video.

She started to shake. Colin walked over to her and knelt in front of her.

"Rory, breathe. I want you to think about your Yoga training. Marty and I are here. It will be ok." She nodded her head and began to take deep breaths. She swallowed, and Marty went over to her refrigerator and got out a bottle of water. He offered some to Logan, but he declined. She took a swallow and then was able to talk.

"Ok, I am ok." She walked over to the round conference table in her small office and sat down, and Logan sat beside her. Colin put the computer in front of the two of them and pulled up the video folder. Marty stood directly behind her and was ready to put his hands on her shoulders if she needed him too. Colin opened the video and hit play.

The video came on, Logan and Rory sat there and watched. Neither of them said anything. Then they heard Rory gasp and scream, "Oh My God!"

They were watching the video that showed the moment when the van hit Ace. The video played on for a while longer, neither Colin nor Marty had watched the whole thing before. They could hear, Shira running over to Honor, saying, "Honey are you alright? We must get out of here. If they find us, we will be killed next."

The next thing you heard was the police sirens and the explosion. People were running towards Ace. Finally, you see a police officer close the laptop.

Rory sat there with silent tears streaming down her face. Logan was in shock. His mother and sister were trying to bribe Ace Gerrard. Questions were going through his mind, how did they know him, why would they do that, how was his family involved? Who would put them up to this?

Marty turned off the computer and went to open the door. Dan had texted him and wanted to know if everything was ok. He unlocked the door and went out and told him what they just showed Logan and Rory. Colin walked out of the office and went to call Logan's father's lawyer. Rory and Logan were sitting alone in the office.

She looked at him, and he looked at her, and he said, "Rory, I am sorry." She began to cry, and he reached over and held her in his arms, as the two of them cried together. She saw Ace risk his life for someone who was trying to destroy him, and Logan cried for all the pain that his family put her through.


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71**

Rory moved away from Logan and stood up. She walked back to her desk and picked up her water bottle. She also opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a glass and a bottle of scotch. Logan looked at her and started to chuckle.

"Ace, what's that for?"

"For you, wish I could join you but right now I can't." She said and leaned her head back in her chair and closed her eyes. Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes. Logan poured himself a drink and was about to walk over to her when Marty walked in.

"Logan, Rory, I don't know what to say."

"No, it's ok man, I appreciate that you showed both of us together. I just don't understand it, and I am so angry!" Logan stated.

Marty walked over to Rory and kissed her on the cheek. She looked at him with sad eyes and stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist laying her head on his chest. "Take me home Marty, please," she whispered to him.

"Ok Princess. Logan, I am going to bring Rory home. I am going to ask Colin to come in and join you."

Logan wasn't listening, instead he continued to look at the computer. Marty opened the office door, where Colin and Finn were waiting. He told them that he was bringing Rory home and that they might want to spend time with Logan.

Colin and Finn walked in. Logan was standing by the small conference table replaying the video and drinking the scotch that Rory had placed on her desk. He turned and looked at his friends when they walked in.

"Where's Rory?" he asked absently.

"Marty took her home Logan," Finn answered looking at his friend.

Slowly turning from the Laptop, he looked at them.

"What did my mother and sister do?!" Logan yelled at them.

"How could they do this and put the woman, that I have loved for the last 14 years, through this hell. What is wrong with my family!"

Finn looked at Colin, and they both poured themselves a glass of scotch and brought the bottle over to Logan.

"I called your father's lawyers," Colin began to explain, "They had found out about this an hour before the story broke on the AP wire. They have not been able to talk to him yet. Did you call your Uncle yet?"

"No, no I haven't. I will do it now." Logan quickly opened his phone and pushed his Uncle Wes's number that was on speed dial. As Logan was calling his Uncle, Liam came into the newsroom and knocked on Rory's office. Colin and Finn answered the door. They quietly told them what they found out, and then they had him watch the video on the Laptop. Logan stood with his back to the Laptop and talked to his Uncle.

"Uncle Wes, so you haven't heard from anyone at HPG at all?"

"No Logan, they haven't heard from your father at Corporate, but that is normal. He had dates blocked off on his calendar that he would be gone. In fact, on his calendar, it is blocked off that he would be in New Haven speaking at the Yale Luncheon. I am in his office now."

"Well according to the AP Wire, dad is being held for questioning, and I have no idea where. There is also a very damaging video of my mother and Honor bribing Ace Gerrard the day he was killed."

"Logan, I will be on the next flight to New York. Tomorrow morning, I would like you to go to the HPG office as early as you can. We must do damage control. I will call your Aunt Charlotte now and have her fly out. We will meet you tomorrow morning. I will call you when we are arriving."

"Thanks, Uncle Wes," Logan hung up his phone and shook his head. Walking over to Liam he said, "Thanks for coming, you might regret ever investing with me."

"No Logan, I had a feeling something was wrong with your father when he was quizzing Rory at the event and insisting on having dinner with him. Someone else is behind this, especially after listening closely to the video."

Colin's phone rang, and he stepped outside of the newsroom. It was Tristan.

"Colin, Tristan Dugrey. Marty said to call you with the information I have. Interpol is holding Mitchum and have him in protective custody. Apparently, someone is also looking to destroy HPG. With Ace's death, they started to put the heat on Mitchum."

"Tristan, Logan Huntzberger is here with me, do you want to talk to him."

"Yes, put him on the phone, please," Tristan told Colin.

"Logan Huntzberger," Logan said into the phone when Colin handed it to him.

"Logan, this is Tristan Dugrey. I am an FBI agent who has been working on this case for a while now. When Marty called me with the information that came over the AP Wire, we had no idea that your father was put into custody. Interpol has him; he is in England. We need to find your mother and sister and you and make sure they are safe."

"Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Since your father had made some 1 billion dollars in assets tied with this family, it was then under scrutiny. Much of this money was diverted to purchase yachts, hotels, artwork and bankroll a movie. Apparently when you did not marry their daughter the money that the family needed was no longer available to them. We froze their assets putting pressure on the people behind this, and when they arrested her father and brother all the money that was once available to them was no longer, leaving them penniless. As you know Odette was pregnant and since you proved that you were not the father, and had a tight contract, she then claimed Ace Gerrard was the father. Unfortunately, she died in childbirth. We have no idea what happened to the child, we assume that it was put up for adoption but there are no records. We did receive the DNA from the child and Ace Gerrard, and it is not a match. But they were using your family to blackmail Ace."

"Tell me, is Rory in danger."

"No, but I do have an agent working with her to make sure she is safe."

"Listen I will be at HPG tomorrow morning here in the city, could you come and meet me there and explain to my Aunt and Uncle who is also on the board what is going on."

"Yes, I will be there. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure"

"How is Rory doing?" Tristan asked him with concern in his voice.

"I am not sure; she seems to be in shock again, "Logan replied.

The two men said goodbye and confirmed their meeting for tomorrow.

Logan looked at Liam, Colin, and Finn, and said, "How in the hell did my family get themselves involved in this mess."

Marty drove Rory home to their apartment. She never said a word; she sat quietly staring out the window. They took the elevator to their apartment. When they walked in, he immediately went into the kitchen and filled the electric kettle and turned it on so that he could boil some water for them.

"Ror, Sweetheart, what would you like to do?"

She looked at Marty and said nothing. She was withdrawing again like she did that day when she returned from the cemetery. He went over to her and wrapped her in his arms and held her. She stood there with her eyes closed. In her mind she replayed the van barreling down the street and seeing Ace push the women out of the way before he was knocked down and then driving over him. She felt someone kissing her forehead, and she looked up into Marty's brown eyes. She felt the tears come back to her eyes and then his face became blurred. She put her hand against his cheek feeling the scratchiness of his five o'clock shadow. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Come on, let's go into the bedroom."

Walking into the bedroom, he turned on the lights by their bed to low and slowly led her to the bed. She looked at it then looked at him.

"I don't want to go to sleep. I will see it again. Marty, hold me. Talk to me about our baby. Tell me about our baby."

He put his hand on her stomach and felt the baby kick.

"Rory, can you feel that? It is our little guy."

She felt another kick and smiled with tears leaking from her eyes.

"Yes, he will be ok. Do you know why he will be okay?"

She shook her head.

"Because you are Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. You are tough and strong, and I am here to protect you. I promise you."

"Don't leave me, Marty. Everyone I love always leaves me." Crying she put her head on his chest."

"Come on, I want you to lay down with me," he said gently and helped her on the bed. She laid her head on his chest, and he played with her hair. He kissed the top of her head.

"Ror, how is the baby now? Is he still kicking?" he asked her.

"No, he is lying quietly now. Marty why? Why was Logan's mother there?"

"I don't know Babe. I hear the water boiling in the tea kettle. Can I make you a cup of tea?"

"Ok."

She got up and walked into the kitchen as he followed her and pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and the tea bags. He put the water in the mugs then added the tea bag. He handed it to her, and they walked over to the couch, where she curled up leaning against him. He put his arm around her and held her. He kissed her on the lips, and she responded deepening her kiss. She put her hand on his face and looked at him. "I love you, Marty. Please remember that."

"I love you too Princess."

Early the next morning Logan gets a phone call from Tristan Dugrey. Tristan asks to meet with him and his uncle at HPG headquarters. Logan agrees and sets up a time for eight am.

Logan has spent his first night in the apartment that he just purchased. It is Thursday morning, and tomorrow was the Yale Alumni weekend. He wonders now if he should cancel and just go to the LDB party here in the city instead. He can let, Liam, Doyle, and Rory run the panel discussion. He needs to get a better handle on what is happening here instead of wasting his time there.

Logan quickly showers and calls for a car to pick him up. He arrives at the HPG headquarters and heads upstairs. His father's secretary is not surprised to see him, nor is she surprised when he walked into his father's personal office. He looks around the office and turns on his father's computer. He quickly types in the passwords to open the company's documents and financials. He then begins another window and types in the password his uncle gave him. He sees a folder with the notes from the last board meeting. Looking around his father's desk he finds a pad and a password. Not sure what this password is for, he opens another file that says F/H2012. He quickly opens it and sees that it needs a password. He tries the password on his father's pad and it opens. It was documents for his wedding with Odette. The contract, photos, articles, and all the correspondence between himself and Odette's family. He quickly reads through the items; he receives a phone call from his father's secretary saying that a Mr. Dugrey was here.

He looked at his watch; it was eight AM, he told her to send him in and bring in some refreshments, coffees, bagels, muffins. Tristan walked in and immediately shook Logan's hand.

"Logan, thank you for meeting with me. I wanted to talk to you about what is happening and what I found out. As I told you on the phone I am an agent for the FBI, I was assigned this case to help Interpol with the largest Kleptocracy Case that involved Americans. I am also an old high school friend of Rory's and I had no idea she or her fiancé had connections to this case.

Logan looked at him. The secretary knocked and brought in a tray with an assortment of food including breakfast sandwiches, coffee, tea, and water. She put it on the table and then turned and left. Logan poured himself a cup of coffee and then offered Tristan a cup. Tristan nodded and took the cup from Logan.

"Tristan, I'm listening. I am shocked. I had no idea what my father was doing. I was just a pawn in the "Dynastic Plan" that my father had with the Fontanes. When I would not go along with it, I thought that was the end of it."

Tristan sat down and began to fill him in the background of the case. By the time of Ace's death, he thought the case was closed until he had received a phone call from Martin Knight. Tristan explained to Logan how Marty was the lawyer assigned to the case to help with the financial information. Tristan explained that when Marty and Rory were cleaning out her fiancé's apartment they ran across the documents that Ace Gerrard found concerning the Fontanes. By uncovering this information, they were able to track down monies hidden in accounts in the Caymans which also led them to watch his father. Tristan then took out the laptop that belonged to Ace. He had gotten it from Colin and Marty last night.

"I know that you and Rory saw this video last night. I spoke to Marty today, Rory is still in shock. She keeps reliving the scene of her fiancé being hit by the van before blowing up." Logan closes his eyes and can see the scene again, but he also remembers that his mother and sister had been there.

"Tristan, I want to do everything in my power to help you. First I need to do some damage control here."

"I understand, but before you can do that we need to talk to your mother and sister. I was wondering if you can help set that up for today."

"Yes, of course." He lifts the phone and has the secretary call his mother for him and tells her to let her know when she is on the phone. As he puts the phone back he looks again at the open window on his computer and decides to show this information to Tristan.

"Tristan, I was going through my father's computer, and I found this window and file folder. It was labeled F/H 2012, I think there's information on her that might help your case. Tristan begins to look through the files and comes across a recent correspondence. It was from CB. He then asked Logan how to get into the private messaging server that HPG had. Logan told him and then searched for passwords, finally deciding to use his birthdate and his sister's birthdate. It worked, and he was able to open it up. There were messages from Liza Morgan setting up times and places to meet and information about CB.

Looking at Tristan Logan said, "I knew she was lying and Liam didn't trust her either. I think she is a plant from the Fontane family. She might be the missing link."

"You're right, do you know where she is now?" Just then the office phone rang, and it was Logan's mother.

"Mom, I have some news about Dad, call Honor and have her come to the house I will be there by 10:30."

"Your Dad? Why is something wrong? I have a spa appointment at 10 Logan. I can't cancel it."

"Mother, I am not asking. I am telling you. I expect to see you and Honor at 10:30," Logan hesitated a moment and then added, "Dad is in trouble." He then hung up.

Tristan looked at Logan. "I had to add that or else she would bolt, and we wouldn't be able to find her for a month," Logan said to Tristan explaining why he added that last part.

Tristan nodded his head. Logan picked up the phone and called the secretary again.

"Can you find out when Ms. Liza Morgan will be in her office today?" Logan asked his dad's secretary.

"Right away, Mr. Huntzberger," and she hung up the phone.

Tristan and Logan both looked through the information. They decided that they needed to print off copies of the damaging messages, then the correspondence. Tristan then asked Logan if it was okay if he could copy these files. When Logan said yes, Tristan pulled out an SD card and quickly copied all the correspondence, messages and data on it.

The secretary knocked on the door and said that Ms. Morgan was not around. She had her address if he wanted it and her personal number. Logan took it and then looked at Tristan. Tristan suggested that he have Logan call and he would have his partner go and pick her up at the address and they would take her in for questioning.

Tristan and Logan then left to drive to Hartford to his family's home. Tristan was going to show them the video and get some answers.

Rory and Marty headed out to her doctor's appointment. This will be her twenty-seventh-week ultrasound. They entered the office and they followed the nurse to the back. She led Rory and Marty to the ultrasound room where they were met by Gabby. Gabby hugged them both then looked at Rory carefully. She looked exhausted and had dark circles under her puffy eyes. Gabby looked over at her brother but didn't say anything when their eyes met. She had Rory get up on the table and raise her shirt, squirting the gel on her belly she took the ultrasound wand and began moving it around her abdomen. They saw the baby and Rory and Marty grabbed each other's hand in excitement. After the ultrasound was finished, they had the usual number of pictures taken. Rory went into the bathroom to relieve herself. Gabby took that time to ask Marty what was wrong.

"Last night, Rory saw the video that was on Ace's computer, it shows him being run over by the van that killed him. She also saw who was blackmailing him."

"Marty why did you show it to her. This isn't good for her or the baby."

"Gab, I can't go into the reason for it right now."

Just then Rory came back into the room.

"Is everything ok?" she asked them.

"Yes, let's check your blood pressure and then you can leave and schedule your next visit in three weeks. Then I will see both of you this weekend." she said quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, I received a message today saying that the destination for the party has been changed. We are to be dressed appropriately and meet at Branford Hall and a car will pick us up."

"Great, Liam and I will call you tomorrow to let you know what time we will be arriving at your home in Hartford."

Marty kissed his sister goodbye and she gave Rory a hug. They left and went to his car.

"Are you ok to go into work today?" he asked her.

Rory nodded, "I'm fine, the baby is fine, and I am hungry."

"Ok, let's stop and have something to eat before you go." He had the driver bring them to Rock Center Cafe where they went in and ordered breakfast. Rory ordered pancakes with chocolate chips and tea and Marty ordered an omelet.

Smiling at her he said, "Chocolate chips today Ror?"

"Yes, I want the French press coffee, but since you are so insistent on keeping me and our little guy caffeine free, I guess I will settle for chocolate." She pouted and gave him her best Lorelai Gilmore look.

He grabbed her hands and kissed them. "Tell me, Babe, what am I in for on Saturday evening. Do we know?"

"No, but Finn just sent me a message saying for us to keep our cars here in the city and to have a car bring us to Hartford and Yale. All other transportation is provided."

"What does that mean?" he asked as the waitress came over with their breakfast.

"Marty, I have learned in the past few years never, ask or question Finn. He will never divulge information." They both laughed and began to eat breakfast. As they were eating Marty's phone rang. He looked at the number and excused himself from the table and walked out of the cafe.

"Dan, Hi, do you want to talk to Rory?" he asked him surprised that Dan would call him.

"No, are you still at the doctor's?"

"No, we are having breakfast. Why, does she need to come in?"

"Marty, stall her until you get a message from me that says it's ok to come in. I'll explain later."

Marty looked puzzled at his phone. He walked in and found his server and told him to take their time with the bill and gave him an extra twenty. He went back to their table. Rory was enjoying her pancakes, and his omelet was cold. Normally, he would eat it but called his server over and asked him if they could prepare him a new one. The server agreed and took the cold uneaten omelet and had a new one prepared. They sat there and ate, and he took his time. He kept her busy talking about other things, their plans for their apartment, the baby pictures. He pulled one out and began to talk about it and suggesting that she take a picture of it and send it to his mother and Adelaide. He knew that as soon as she , attached the photo to an email to his mother, she would call. His mother called, and he spoke to her for twenty minutes. They were outside, and he watched the ice skaters on the rink in Rockefeller Center.

Marty ended the call and hugged her close to him. "You know that is something I always wanted to do with my fiancé," he told her as he kissed her cheek pointing to the ice skaters on the ice.

"I used to skate when I was younger, but I don't think it would be a good idea for me to skate now."

"I agree, I don't want you or our baby to get hurt," he told her and kissed her again.

"Marty as much as I enjoy spending time with you, I do have to go back to the studio."

"I know, but I thought that we needed this time together after yesterday. I know you didn't sleep well, Princess. I heard you crying in your sleep." She looked away and stared out across the rink. She turned and looked at him and put her hand on his cheek and kissed him.

"I love you so much, thank you for caring for us as you do," she said to him as she kissed him again.

He pulled her to him and kissed her softly on her lips. He felt his phone vibrate and smiled. He pulled it out and saw the message. He slipped it back into his pocket and pulled her into a hug. Kissing the top of her head, he said, "Ok, I will let you go to work if you promise to wait for me to pick you up tonight." Smiling back at him she nodded her head. The then held hands and walked the few short blocks to the studio. He wanted to talk to Dan, so he went with her up to her office. He didn't see Dan, but he did see Brie. She inclined her head to the conference room in the back, and he nodded. He kissed Rory goodbye, and Joanie followed her into her office with a list of things to go over with her. He walked back towards Brie and followed her to the conference room where Dan and Chris were.

"Marty, thank you for keeping her away this morning. We had a visitor that we didn't want her to see." 

"Who?" thinking the worst.

"Liza Morgan, luckily Tristan alerted us, and Jennifer Coates was able to help with her arrest."

"Arrest?"

"Yes apparently, Mitchum named her as the person who was handing him the instructions to blackmail Ace Gerrard. She works for the Fontane family."

Dan and Chris sat in the conference room explaining what they found out. Earlier, Logan and Tristan found a folder with information that indicated her involvement and when Logan and Tristan went to Hartford and showed Shira and Honor the video they confessed and told them that Liza Morgan was behind everything.

"So, is it over with?" Marty asked.

"I think you and Rory should plan that wedding," Dan told him and shook his hand.

"Dan, Chris, thank you, and I know when Rory finds out she will thank you both. Do me a favor, call me before she leaves. I want to pick her up today. She didn't sleep well, and I am going to arrange for her to have a massage tonight."

The men shook his hand, and he left. Looking back, he could see his fiancé talking to Brie and Joanie. He smiled and got on the elevator.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72**

Logan had returned to HPG thinking that the worst was over. He now was going to be able to attend the Yale Alumni event, and the LDB event Saturday evening. Logan was glad that the call to Doyle, Rory or Glenn was not needed and that he would be able to attend the Yale Daily News Lunch and panel discussion. He entered his father's office and was surprised to see his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Wes there. He went in and shook his Uncle's hand and kissed his aunt on the cheek.

"Logan, Wes was filling me in on what has been going on. I am so sorry that your father has put you through all this. I know that you had wanted to go on your own, but we need to talk to you first before you leave this company forever."

Logan sat down in a chair across from his aunt and uncle. A carafe of coffee was already in the room, so he poured himself a cup.

"Your father will be taking retirement immediately. He got himself caught up with the wrong people, and it may have cost us this company." Charlotte explained.

"Logan, we want you to take over as CEO, we need you to help rebuild the company. This company is bleeding money, and you're a bright young man, we hope you can come up with some ideas," his Uncle Wes added.

Logan looked at his aunt and uncle and shook his head, "I am not a miracle worker, and I have just invested in my network. We are ready to start in January, and we are hiring our staff as we speak. I am going to Yale this weekend to recruit some of the brightest people for my new company; then I am going to go to Cornell, Princeton, and Harvard."

"Logan, we understand, but we need you here, to help restructure the company," Charlotte told him. "This is a family business, and it supports not only you but all of us, and it will have to continue to support your parents, though their income will need to be reduced. I am sure your mother will have to find a cheaper spa to go to."

Logan chuckled listening to his aunt's sarcasm towards his mother.

"Logan, the lawyer friends of yours, McCrae, Knight. They deal with financial law, correct?" his uncle asked him.

"Yes, in fact, Marty Knight is one of the best financial lawyers around, why?"

"I think we need to hire them under advisement and see if they can help us with this."

"Ok, I will call Colin and Marty today," he replied.

"Good, good. Ok then we are going to leave now, and we will meet with you next week to discuss a plan. Your father will be in custody for a while," his aunt said.

"Logan dear, please think things through carefully."

His aunt kissed his cheek and gave him a hug before she left.

His Uncle Wes came over and shook his hand, "Logan I will stay and work with you here as long as you need help. I have asked for an office, and they gave me your old office so now this will be your office."

Logan stood there in shock. His aunt and uncle just made him the CEO of HPG, something he didn't want. He needed to call someone, and the first person he thought to call was Rory. Logan sat there and looked at his phone; he hesitated, she wouldn't want to talk to him after what his family just put her through. So instead he called Finn. Finn's phone went right to voicemail; Logan left him a message to call him back. As he hung up his phone, the office phone rang. His father's secretary told him that someone was here to see him. It was Bobbie. She walked into his office with a big smile on her face.

"I was surprised when you weren't at your office in Long Island City, so I took a chance to see if you were here. When I called here, the receptionist said you had arrived early. What's going on Logan? I thought you had walked away from HPG."

Kissing her on the cheek, he told her to sit down.

"Can I give you a cup of coffee?"

When she nodded, he poured her a cup and said, "I guess my destiny has changed." He handed her the coffee cup.

"What do you mean?" she asked him with a surprise expression on her face.

"It seems that my father has had some questionable dealings these last few years, and now he is going to be forced into retirement. I have been asked to take over the company."

Looking surprised, she leaned across the coffee table and put her hand on his knee.

"What does that mean? What are you going to do?"

Rubbing the back of his neck he shook his head, "I am not sure. Right now, I will call Liam and talk to him; I have some time to think about things and look through the finances. I must contact Martin Knight, Colin's partner and get his advice on the finances of this company. Then I have the Yale alumni reunion and the LDB event."

"Wow, what can I do to help?" she asked him with concern in her voice.

"Well right now, I want to make sure that you will be going to the LDB event on Saturday night. It will be here in New York, so I will have my limo pick you up. It is a Great Gatsby themed party so that you will need a dress from that period. Here is Stephanie McCrae's phone number she can suggest a place for you to purchase a costume. Put it on my card." He handed her his Amex card.

She returned the card to him. "Logan that's not necessary, I will give Stephanie a call, but I have my own money." He nodded and took back his card.

"Logan, please let me help you any way I can."

He smiled at her and took her hand in his. "By coming with me to the event will be the first thing you can do. I have a lot of calls to make so that I will see you Saturday evening, I will text you to let you know the time I will arrive." He kissed her on the cheek. She got up and left.

Rory found herself thinking about Ace's death and how Logan's family was involved. From the first moment that she met Logan their lives were tied together. When they broke up she tried hard to move on and forget him.

Then she met Ace, she found herself in love again forgetting all about Logan and she was happy. Then she lost Ace, and Logan returned back into her life. Was this Karma? She no longer loved Logan the way she did when she was younger, but she still had strong feelings for him. She knew she loved Marty but how was she going to fit Logan back into her life. She needed to talk to someone; what Rory needed was her mother.

Rory dialed Finn's number. He answered on the first ring; he was having coffee with Jess at Dodger's Books. He was expecting this call when Colin had called him with the news about Logan's father. It was hard enough for him to watch the video showing Ace's death and to talk to Logan about his family's involvement, but for Rory seeing the video that killed Ace, it had to be devastating for her.

"Hi Love, I wondered when you would call me," he answered softly. He looked over at Jess, and when Jess mouthed her name, he nodded yes.

"Finn," she whispered, "I need you."

"Love, where are you? Jess and I will be right there."

"At the studio in my office. You're with Jess?"

Finn had put her on speaker so that Jess could hear the conversation.

"Ror, I am here, hey we will be right there. We are leaving my office now."

"I need to get away from here," she said as she began to feel her tears slip down her cheeks.

"We will pick you up and take you someplace."

The two men quickly left the bookstore. Finn's driver was waiting in the lot beside the store. They got in, and Finn directed him to drive directly to Marty's office before they headed to Studio 57.

Rory had closed the blinds in her office so that she wouldn't be disturbed and began to scroll through the articles about Ace's death. She had never read them before, and now she needed to read them. She was carrying his child, and Rory wanted to be able to tell her son that his daddy was a hero.

As soon as the car pulled up in front of the offices of McCrae and Knight, Finn and Jess got out and quickly took the elevator directly to the offices. They walked right by reception and walked to the back elevators that the personal clients of the two men used. Finn quickly typed in the code for their floor, and the two men got on. As they exited the elevator, they walked directly into Marty's office. He looked up in surprise.

"Finn, Jess what is wrong? Is Rory ok?" he asked and told the person on the phone he would call them right back.

Finn spoke first, "Marty, Rory called us and asked us to come over. She says she wants to get away."

"She is hurting, and when she is like this she wants to talk, when Rory was younger, she would call her mother and discuss things. Since her mom has died, she has been calling me or Finn," Jess explained.

"Yes, I know and understand. I was hoping that she would come to me," Marty replied sadly. "Does she need space?"

"I am not sure. I think we need to take her away from the city right now." Jess answered him.

"Well I am in the middle of this case that involves Huntzberger, should I give it to Colin to handle?"

"No Mate, we can handle Rory. We will take her to Stars Hollow then to your home in Hartford. You can pack her things and meet her there tonight. We will stay with her now," Finn replied.

"Here's the security code to the house, Rory may not remember it. Would you call me when you get there? I will have Rita interrupt me."

Finn took the paper with the security code and put it in his pocket, Marty took his hand and shook it.

"Finn, Jess Thanks. I don't know what I would do without your friendship."

"We are a package deal; we go with Rory," Jess replied and gave him his crooked smile.

Marty smiled, "Tell her I will be there later, and Finn tell her that I love her."

The two men left and took the private elevator back to the lobby. As they got into their car, they saw another town car pull up. Getting out was Logan. When their car pulled away, Jess turned to Finn and said, "I wonder what that is all about? Do you think they have more evidence against the Huntzbergers and Logan is doing damage control?"

"I don't know mate, but first let's concentrate on Rory.

Ten minutes later Finn and Jess had cleared security at Studio 57 and were walking into the newsroom. Jess saw Brie right away and walked over to her. Brie told Jess that Rory has been in her office all morning with her door and blinds closed. Finn went over to her door and knocked. When she didn't answer, he opened it and walked in. Rory was sitting at her computer reading articles about the day that Ace had died. She pulled up everything before his death, and after his death. Rory was looking for something, but she didn't know what. However, she knew that when she saw it, she will know what it was. Finn looked over at her and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. His heart softened for her and knew that her heart was breaking again.

"Ror, Love, I'm here," he said softly as he entered the room.

Looking up she said to Finn, "I have read everything, and I can't find a connection."

"A connection? What kind of connection are you looking for?"

Finn walked over to her desk and saw the article she was reading. It was Logan's engagement announcement to Odette.

"Listen, you called and wanted me to come and take you away. Jess and I are here. Where do you want to go?"

"I want to go to the cemetery."

"Ok, get your things, have you eaten?" he asked her.

"I don't remember, she said. Then Jess walked in.

"You don't remember if you ate? Ok, we will take you to the cemetery then we can go someplace to eat," Jess told her.

She gathered her coat, laptop, purse and followed the men out of the building. Dan had been talking to Jess the whole time Finn had been in the office with her. Jess explained to Dan about the phone call they got from Rory. Dan told Jess to take her away from work, and he would see her on Monday. She had become someone that he cared about. Everyone was worried about her health and the baby's health. Dan spoke to Chris, and he agreed that Rory needed to take time off from work.

They left Studio 57, and Finn told the driver to go to Hartford first before going to Stars Hollow.

Jess looked at her with concern on his face. "Talk to us Rory; you were fine before. You were talking about wedding plans. What changed?"

"There has to be a reason why Odette, Ace, and Logan all were involved with each other. What was Ace looking for?" she wondered out loud.

"Rory, the only connection we have found is with Mitchum and the contract he and Mr. Fontanes had with the marriage of Odette and Logan," Jess told her.

Finn took her hand in his looking at her he said, "You need to focus on you and your son. Marty will meet us tonight at your home."

She looked at Finn and Jess and gave them a weak smile. Rory rested her head on the back of the car seat and closed her eyes. She was exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

 _ **It was the day after the correspondent dinner, and she was packing her bags to leave the hotel to fly back to New York City. She heard a knock at her door, thinking it was room service with her coffee she quickly grabbed her wallet and answered the door. Standing there with a tray of coffee and chocolate croissants was Acelot Gerard, with a smile on his face.**_

" _ **Good morning, Rory, I have come to have coffee with you."**_

" _ **Well thank you, I was finishing packing and"**_

 _ **Ace did not let her finish, he walked into her small hotel room and placed the coffee and croissants on the desk in her room. He then poured the two coffees adding cream and sugar to hers and handed it to her.**_

 _ **Looking at him quizzically she asked,**_

" _ **How did you know?"**_

" _ **How did I know what?" He replied with a grin on his face.**_

" _ **How I like my coffee?"**_

" _ **Ma Jolie, I am an investigative reporter, it is my job."**_

 _ **Taking the coffee from him, she laughed….**_

She felt the movement beside her and could hear male voices. Slowly she opened her eyes and leaned her head forward.

"Hey, Ror, are you feeling better?" Jess asked her.

Looking around the car, she was confused at first and then she smiled when she saw both Finn and Jess sitting beside her. Looking out the window, she noticed that they were pulling into the cemetery.

"I guess I have been asleep for a while."

Finn looked at her and with concern in his voice, he asked," Are you ok?"

The car pulled into the cemetery, and Jess directed the driver toward the plots. As they pulled onto the road in front of the area where the plots were for her mother and grandfather, Rory turned to the men and said, "Jess, Finn could you leave me here for a while. I want to be alone."

Finn replied, "Love we can wait by the gate at the entrance why don't you text me when you're ready to pick you up."

"Thank you, Finn. I might be here for a while; I hope that's ok."

Finn put his arm on her shoulder and pulled her to his side and gave her a hug, "Love, take as much time as you need."

The driver came around and opened the door, and she got out. She slowly walked up the knoll to the two plots. She turned and watched the car pull away. She sat down between her grandfather's and mother's graves and leaned on her mother's headstone. The ground was cold beneath her, but she didn't care. She needed to be near her mother and grandfather.

Rory closed her eyes remembering the dream she had in the limo. She thought again about that day Ace brought her the coffee.

 _ **With a smile on his face, he handed her, her coffee. She took it from him and took a sip she let out a groan.**_

 _ **Ace began to laugh, "Ma Jolie if I can give you a cup of coffee and you make that noise, what will you do when I kiss you?"**_

 _ **With a glimmer in her eyes, she walked towards him and said, "I guess we will have to find out."**_

 _ **He walked closer to her and took the coffee from her. He put his hand on the back of her neck and leaned towards her. Pulling her into him, his lips formed on hers. He leaned forward pressing his body against hers. Rory's hands slowly moved up his body starting at his stomach, and she caressed his sculpted abs. His pecs were hard slabs of muscle under his white sports shirt. As her hands reached his neck, she pushed her fingers through his hair. He tilted her head and kissed her deeply. She pulled away from him breathless and panting. He held her face between his hands and kissed her again softly. She could taste the coffee he had been drinking. This kiss stirred feelings that she hadn't had in a long time.**_

She remembered that first kiss and a tear slowly ran down her cheek. Her hand went to her belly, and she felt her little one kick. Kissing Ace had been different than the kisses she had from Logan. Now Logan's family had disrupted her life. She then thought about the other men in her life. She remembered asking her mother once, "Mom how do you do it? This whole guy thing?" She couldn't remember the answer. But she knew that the feelings she had for Logan, Finn, and Jess were different from the feeling she has for Ace and for Marty.

"Mom, what am I to do?"

She leaned on the granite tombstone wishing her mother would speak to her or give her a sign. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder she looked up.

"Rory, what are you doing on the ground, you're going to catch a cold."

Rory jumped and looked at the person who was talking to her.

"Grandma? What are you doing here?"

"I always come here to stop to talk to Richard and your mother when I return from Nantucket. Where's your car? Why are you sitting on the ground, it's not good for you or your baby?"

Rory began to cry and put her arms around her grandmother.

"Rory, what's the matter dear? Tell me," Emily said as she hugged her granddaughter.

"I'm sorry grandma, it's hormones. I came with Finn and Jess. They will be here soon."

"Rory, tell me what's wrong."

The town car with Jess and Finn pulled up, Rory turned and said, "Grandma, I'm staying in Hartford this weekend. I'll come over, I promise."

She kissed her grandmother on the cheek and walked down the knoll to the waiting car. Emily watched her granddaughter get into the car. She turned to the two gravestones and placed the flowers she bought in the vases on both graves.

"Richard, Lorelai, I don't know what has gotten into that girl." A breeze blew across Emily's face. It felt like a kiss to her.

"Yes, Richard you are right she needs me. I will get to the bottom of this."

Feeling like she has a new sense of purpose in her life, Emily walked down the knoll to her car. She got in it and decided that she will call Luke and have him come to dinner. Maybe he knows what was wrong with Rory

Logan quickly entered the offices of McCrae and Knight. Marty's

secretary, Rita met him and led him to the conference room where Colin and Marty were waiting for him. When Logan walked in, Colin looked up from the papers he and Marty were going over and walked over to him.

Patting him on the back, he said, "How are you holding up, Logan?"

Logan looked at his best friend and shook his head.

"I'm not sure. During these past six months, my life has changed, and in 24 hours I have found out my parents were involved in blackmail, my father is forced to take early retirement, and I have been named the CEO of HPG."

Marty looked up from his laptop and asked, "What can we do to help?"

"Marty, I need your help and advice. My uncle wants me to hire you to help us review the financials of this company. My aunt and uncle think I can help restructure the company, so we don't lose it."

"What do you want, Logan?" Marty asked him.

"Marty, I thought I walked away from this job, but now I think I need to at least see what can to do to save the company. I can't walk away completely yet."

"Logan, then what?" Colin asked him looking directly at him. He knew this would be difficult, and Logan never ran from a challenge, but this would interlock his life with Rory's, and he wasn't sure if that would be good for either of them.

"I'm not sure. First, I need to hire your firm, then talk to Liam and discuss the future of ACE Network."

The three men sat down and began to look through all the accounts that HPG had and see if they could find out what his father was involved in.

As they began to sift through the paperwork, that Marty had already compiled, it appeared that HPG was going to have difficulties financially unless they were to acquire help from an outside source. Apparently, when Mitchum signed the contract with the Fontanes, it connected their businesses. Even though the marriage became null and void once the engagement was off, the Fontanes still manage to take money from HPG. When the Fontanes were sent away to prison for embezzlement, they had already embezzled over three million dollars from HPG without Mitchum knowing. Once Odette died in childbirth the female members were without money, and since the DNA proved it wasn't Logan's child, they went after Ace, promising that they would release HPGs money once they got the money from Gerard's. They convinced Mitchum, using Liza Majors, as their connection to be the ones setting up the money exchange. However, Ace realized what was happening and contacted the FBI. He offered to work with the FBI, and he was killed while he was gathering the information for them.

When Logan heard all this, he became furious at his family. He also felt guilty and responsible for all the sadness and unhappiness his family caused Rory. His love for her was still there, and he would do anything to help her and stop her pain and sorrow.

Looking at Marty after going through the paperwork and hearing how Mitchum brought the company to this point Logan asked, "Marty, how is Rory?"

"Logan, this morning I thought she was ok, but then Jess and Finn came and said she called them. She wanted to get out of the city," Marty responded with sadness in his voice.

"Why did she call Finn?"

"Logan, Finn, and Rory are close in more ways; they share a bond with each other that cannot be broken which is like her relationship with Jess. When Lorelei died they became her brothers, her guardians, and best friends," Colin explained.

"Ace understood this, and the three men became close."

"How do you feel about this, Marty?" Logan asked him.

Marty smirked, "They are a package deal. If I want her in my life, then they are, too. And if you notice, Rory seems to collect people who want to take care of her, even you. I feel lucky that she loves me differently than she does Finn or Ace."

Logan looked at Marty and asked, "Do you know why she wanted to leave?"

"Finn and Jess said she is hurting and wanted to leave. When she was younger…"

Marty did not get to finish his sentence because Logan said, "She would call Lorelei or go to Stars Hollow."

"Yes, so now she calls Finn and Jess. A few weeks back she had Finn take her to his place to wallow."

Logan stood up and put his hands in his pocket and stared out the window.

"I never wanted to hurt her; I only wanted to love her. Now she will never forgive me," Logan said sounding like a broken man.


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73**

Emily returned to her car and drove home. She was very concerned when she saw her granddaughter. There was something wrong and she knew now that Lorelai and Richard would want her to help Rory. She knew that her granddaughter was a strong-willed woman, much like herself. Emily realized it now after not seeing her for the past year. She needed to tread softly, maybe she should call Luke.

Emily pulled into her driveway and smiled. She was happy to be back, and she was glad now that she didn't sell her home. Jack will be coming by later and spend time with her. She enjoyed having the companionship of a man her age. Though she was eighty she was still spry and healthy. Berta had come a few days ahead with her family and the house was ready for Emily. She smiled when Berta opened the door. Emily went immediately to Richard's study and picked up the phone. Sitting at his desk she dialed Luke's number at the diner. She gently rubbed Richard's desk, and looking up at the portrait of her granddaughter, she smiled. She was determined to help her.

"Luke's," a gruff voice answered the phone.

"Luke, this is Emily."

"Oh, Emily. Is everything ok? Do you need anything? I can be over in twenty minutes. Just tell me what you need," Luke rambled when he heard her voice.

Emily smiled listening to Luke. He had become an attentive son in law even after Lorelai passed. He would come visit her in Nantucket at least twice in the summer and made sure her house was stocked with food. He even would join her for dinners on Friday evenings when she returned from Hartford.

"Luke, It's Rory. Have you heard from her?"

"Rory? No, I haven't heard from her or Jess since last weekend. She was doing ok, had a little bit of a scare, but Jess, Finn and Marty have been taking care of her. Why?"

"I just saw her at the cemetery and she was crying. Something is wrong Luke. I just feel it."

"Ok, Emily. Let me call Jess and see if I can find out what is wrong and why she was at the cemetery. I will be over tonight. I will bring dinner."

"Luke Berta is here, she will make dinner. I will see you later. Will seven be ok?"

"Seven will be perfect, Emily. And don't worry everything will be ok."

Luke hung up the phone. He knew that last weekend Rory had found out about Ace, and the possibility of him being blackmailed before he died. Something else must have turned up.

"Caesar, I am going upstairs, and I will be leaving early tonight. You are in charge," he yelled into the kitchen as Luke went up the stairs to his apartment.

Luke pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jess' number.

"Uncle Luke, what's going on?" Jess answered on the first ring. He had his arm around Rory's shoulder as he tried to console her. They were sitting in the car while Finn was picking up Chinese take-out before they all returned to Marty's home.

"You tell me. Where's Rory?"

"Right here with me. Why? Do you want to talk to her?"

Jess covered the phone and told her that Luke was on the line and asked her if she wanted to talk to him.

Rory took his phone and cleared her throat. She didn't want to sound like she had been crying.

Leaning her head against Jess' shoulder she said, "Luke is everything ok?"

"Rory, I just spoke to Emily. She told me she saw you at the cemetery and you were very upset. Talk to me, what happened."

Listening to her step father's concern in his voice the tears began to fall down her face. "Oh Luke, everything. I need my mom. I am so frightened. I don't know what to do."

"Ror, it will be ok. Let me talk to Jess, I will be right there."

Rory handed the phone to Jess, just as Finn entered the car.

"Kitten, come here. We will get this sorted out. I promise," Finn told her as he sat beside her. He gently put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried. He whispered in her ear,

"Hormones again love?"

Teary-eyed she looked up at him and cracked a smile, nodding.

Jess was talking on the phone with Luke. Jess told them that they were heading to Marty's home and that Marty will be arriving later when he got out of work. Luke told him that he would be there in an hour.

Jess hung up the phone. Looking at Finn and Rory he said, "Luke will meet us at Marty's in an hour."

They arrived at Marty's home and the driver dropped them off. Finn punched in the code and they entered the house. Finn looked around and immediately found the control for the thermostat and punched in the temperature. Jess went into the kitchen and began to set the food up on the counter so that they could eat. He was worried about Rory. She went and got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and pulled out the beer that Marty kept stocked for the boys. Finn called Marty and he was on his way to Hartford. He would arrive around the same time that Luke came. He had gone home and packed two bags. He was going to keep Rory here this weekend. He had asked Gabby and Steph to pick up Rory's outfit for the party on Saturday evening. Luckily, she told him what she planned on wearing for the Yale Daily News Luncheon, so he packed that along with her jeans and a few sweaters. If she needed more clothes he would take her shopping.

As they were eating, Rory began to talk to Jess and Finn about her fears. She was afraid that Mitchum and his family would come after them. She was afraid that she couldn't trust Logan.

"Rory, you have known Logan a long time. He is still in love with you. He wouldn't do anything to hurt you," Finn told her.

"Ror, do you trust me?" Jess asked her.

Rory looked at him, "Yes you know I do."

"I will not let anything happen to you or the baby. Neither will Finn. Neither would Marty."

"But Jess, Ace was investigating them. There must be something he found out that made this happen."

"Rory, I have a P.I. investigating everything. Tristan Dugrey is handling the case. Ace's death was caused by a single terrorist act. That has been confirmed," Finn told her holding her hands and looking into her eyes.

"Love, you and the baby will be ok. Marty will be here soon and the two of you can talk."

Just then Rory's phone rang. She looked at it and saw it was Logan.

She looked at Finn and Jess. She didn't want to talk to Logan now. She let it go to voicemail. She got up from her chair and gathered all the extra food and began to clear the table before Luke and Marty arrived. She wanted to put this nightmare behind her so that she could move on.

Logan ended his call to Rory and looked at Marty and Colin.

"Her phone went right to voicemail. Do you think she is avoiding my call?" Logan anxiously asked Marty.

"I don't know, unless she has her phone in the bottom of her purse and she didn't hear it ring. Usually she answers it right away. Let me call Finn or Jess and see if she is ok," Marty said to Logan.

Colin felt bad because he was the one that suggested that Logan call her. She needs to hear from Logan what was going on.

"Colin, Marty, do you think it would help if Tristan talked to Rory? He has been involved with this case from the beginning. Maybe he can explain what they uncovered," Logan asked.

He was just getting in a good place with her and he didn't want to lose her as a friend.

"I think it might be worth a try," Marty said, "Let me try calling her first and if she doesn't answer I can call Finn or Jess to check to see how she is doing."

Marty pushed the speed dial number on his phone for Rory. It rang three times before she answered it.

"Hi, Marty. Are you on your way? I need one of your hugs right now," she whispered to him on the phone.

"Princess, are you ok? You have me worried. Where are you?"

"I am at your home in Hartford with Finn and Jess. I went to the cemetery and I saw my grandmother Emily there. Finn bought food and Jess called Luke. I ate something, but I think I am going to lie down until you get here."

"How's our little guy doing? Is he acting up?" Marty asked trying to get her to think of the baby instead of the video."

"Well right now he is doing some kicking and punching but he is leaving my kidneys alone. I need the baby whisperer to settle him down. When do you think you will be here?'

"It's one thirty now, I could be there by three, three thirty. I need to go home and pack a bag for the weekend. I will have Steph or Gabby pick up your dress for the weekend and I will have Colin pick up my suit. Will that be alright?"

"Yes. Marty, I'm sorry."

"Babe, for what? Why are you sorry?"

"For putting you through all this drama. I told you I am broken…. I shouldn't have you worry or…" she began to cry. He heard Finn and Jess talk to her in the background and then he heard Jess' voice on the phone.

"Marty? I am going to have Rory go and lie down. What do you want us to do?" Jess asked Marty while Finn helped Rory settle down on the couch in their front room.

"I am here with Logan and Colin at the office. We went through everything and Mitchum made a mess of HPG. Logan had nothing to do with the situation and he was used as a pawn by his father. Colin thought that if he called Rory she might be able to understand what happened. But now I wonder if we should have Tristan talk to her and explain the complexity of the situation and how Ace was inadvertently involved along with her."

"When are you planning on coming out?" Jess asked him.

"I told her I could be there by three, three-thirty."

"I personally think that if you have Tristan talk to her that both Logan and you should be here together. Is it possible that Tristan and Logan can come out with you?"

Marty relayed the information to Logan and Colin and Colin immediately called Tristan to see if he could meet them at Marty's home at three thirty.

"Yes, Colin is calling Tristan now and Logan said he could join me."

"Ok, see you around three. We will stay with her. Luke will be stopping by too. Marty, she is acting like she did after her mom died."

"I will try to get there as soon as possible." Marty then ended the call.

Looking at Colin and Logan they could see the despair in his expression.

"Marty Tristan is not in his New York office, I will keep on trying," Colin said.

"Jess said she is acting like she did right after her mom died."

"That's not good. I will call Steph, she is in Hartford today. I will have her go over now."

Finn gave Rory some Chamomile tea and had her relax on the couch in front of the TV. He found the movie Pippi Long stocking and put it on and the two of them sat and watched it. She cuddled into his shoulder and slowly fell asleep. He changed the channel and put on a soccer game and Jess joined him. He gently moved her so that she was sleeping on the couch and put the chenille blanket over her and he moved to the lazy boy and grabbed another beer. The two men watched the game while she slept. They heard her mumble in her sleep, but she didn't seem to upset. They didn't dare leave her alone. They remembered how she was when Richard died and her mom and how she wouldn't sleep for days.

"Finn, do you think we need to call Paris?" Jess asked him as they listened to her mumble in her sleep.

"I don't know mate. This was a shock, but she seems ok so far," Finn replied.

Rory slept on the couch and soon her dream returned to her Ace.

" _ **Ma Jolie, when you need to investigate a story you need to dig deep, Interview, research your contacts. Make sure you have all the evidence you need." Then Ace kissed her on the nose.**_

" _ **Ace, what are you saying? I don't dig deep enough? "**_

 _ **He chuckled and pulled her into his arms.**_

" _ **Do you remember when I came to your room with the coffee and croissants after the first day I met you?"**_

" _ **Yes…"**_

" _ **Well I investigated you, I found out everything I could about you. I knew I had to have you in my life. Ms. Gilmore you are my world."**_

" _ **Ace, you were spying on me?"**_

" _ **Non, I was investigating you." He peppered her face with kisses and slowly he pushed her on the couch where they were sitting. Laying on top of her he kissed her deeply. His hands slowly explored her body and he**_

 _ **lifted the hem of her shirt and caressed her skin. He gently raised her shirt above her breast and brought his lips to the swell of her breast and kissed them. With his other hand he massaged her breast. She began to moan. He laughed and pulled her bra down and then he sucked the nipple of her right breast. His other hand slowly maneuvered down to her thighs.**_

" _ **Ace, you're not playing fair." She sighed into his neck as she began to bite it.**_

" _ **This is not investigative reporting," she moaned into his neck.**_

 _ **He began to kiss down her stomach and slowly unbuttoned her jeans. Hooking his thumbs in her pants he slid them down.**_

" _ **Non? I think it is. I am investigating every part of you," and he licked her navel and continued to lick and kiss her as he pulled her pants off her hips.**_

" _ **Ace! Bedroom Now!" she demanded. And he quickly gathered her into his arms, bridal style, and carried her into his bedroom. Their lips locked, and their kiss became more passionate.**_

Rory opened her eyes and sat up. Ace had checked everything out about her before he made his move. He knew what she liked to drink, where she worked, where she was staying. Was Ace involved in the whole charade too? Did he meet her on purpose? Was he a spy?

"Finn, Jess. What did Ace tell you about me? Did he ask you questions about me or Logan?"

"No love, never, in fact Logan's name never came up. Why are you asking that?" Finn replied looking at her strangely.

"It's just that I remembered something when I was asleep. He was talking about investigating and investigative reporting and to check the interviews, my sources. The sources…. Jess the books the notes did they reveal his sources?"

"I don't know, Tristan has all that information now, Ror. Listen there is nothing you can do… think of the baby."

"No Jess, I need to talk to Tristan. Where's my phone? I need to talk to him."

She found her phone on the table where Jess placed it after he spoke to Marty. Before Marty or Finn could stop her, Rory picked up her phone and went down into the basement and called Tristan.

"Dugrey here."

"Tristan, it's Rory. Where are you? Can you meet me at Marty's home in Hartford? I need to talk to you."

"Rory? What's the matter? I am in Hartford, I can be there shortly. Is everything ok?"

"Tris, I remembered something, and I need to talk to you about it."

"It's ok. Don't worry Mare, I will be there shortly."

Smiling when she heard her old nickname she said, "Thank you Tristan."

As soon as Tristan hung up the phone he picked up his office phone and called Marty's cell number.

Marty had just gathered his things and he and Logan were leaving his office when his cell rang.

"Marty, this is Tristan. Do you have a moment to talk?"

"Sure, I am in the elevator heading to my car. I am on my way to my apartment."

"Well I just received a phone call from Rory. She wants to meet with me. She told me that she remembered something and wants to talk to me."

"Well Logan and I are heading to Hartford now. I must stop by the apartment and pack a few bags. It is twelve-thirty now, I should be there by two-thirty if the traffic is good."

"Ok, I will call her back and tell her that I can be there by two - thirty, I think you need to be there. I am not sure what she will tell me, but I think she needs to hear the whole story. You said, Logan is with you. Will he be coming too?"

"Yes, I think that Rory needs to talk to Logan and the two of them need to face this situation together," Marty admitted to Tristan, though it was killing him. He feared that this might bring Rory and Logan together. Marty ended the call and looked at Logan.

"Logan, I hope you know how much I love Rory. I will do anything for her and I promised her that I would protect her. I know you have strong feelings for her, but I want you to know that I am not going to walk away from her this time."

Logan looked at Marty as the elevator continued its descent to the garage.

"I know, man, and I respect you for it. I know that she is in love with you. I can see it. All I want to do is have you both in my life as friends."

Looking at Logan, Marty gave him a small smile. "I hope that we can too, Logan."

The two men went to Marty's car and he drove it to his apartment. Logan came with him up to his apartment. Marty offered him a beer as he went into the bedroom and took out their two cases. Familiar with Rory's packing habits, he grabbed her "to go bag" and added a few more essentials, including his Yale t-shirt she wore every night, and his favorite outfit that she wears in the house to be comfortable, (yoga pants and his Harvard sweatshirt.) He remembered that she had a few outfits at the apartment, but he also took out the new heart print maternity dress that she had recently bought and thought it would be a good choice for her to wear to the Yale Daily News panel on Saturday. He put it in the garment bag with his dress shirts. He packed his jeans, some sweaters and Henleys. He also grabbed her dark gray wrapped coat. He remembered that she had a zippered leather jacket but thought she might want a longer coat on Saturday. Walking out with the two cases, he saw Logan looking at the pictures that had been taken when they were at the Hampton's.

"Are you ready to go, Logan?" Marty asked.

Logan looked up and placed the shell frame back down on the table.

"Um yeah, I am. She really is special Marty. Please be good to her. Promise?"

"Yes, Logan. I promise. Do you need to get anything? We can stop by at your apartment."

"You know, that's not a bad idea. Could you swing by?"

The two men got into Marty's car and Logan gave him the address, 160 Central Park South.

Marty didn't say anything at first until they walked into the building and were headed to apartment 1817.

"Logan, how long have you been living here?" Marty asked him as they were going up in the elevator.

The elevator pinged as they reached his floor and they walked to the door.

"I just got it, I haven't moved in completely yet, I am waiting for items to come from London." Logan opened the door and they walked in.

"Logan, did you know that this was Ace Gerrard's apartment?"

Logan froze in his place. He looked at Marty in shock. He never asked his realtor who the previous owner was. He fell in love with the location and the place also since it was already furnished it was a bonus.

"Oh my god. What have I done?! Now Rory will never want to see me again or want to be my friend. Marty...I will sell it I will move."

"Logan, it will be ok. Let's get through the other part first before we tell Rory about the apartment. She was ready to move on anyway. I am sure she will be ok."

"Thanks Marty, you are such a good friend to me." Logan then went into his bedroom and threw some clothes into his overnight case that he was going to take to his parents' home.

The two men left in silence both deep in their own thoughts. Marty is wondering how this new bit of information was going to affect Rory. Logan is now worried about the apartment, and the fact that his parents had been involved the blackmailing of her fiancé.

Luke left Stars Hollow around one thirty. He had called Emily and told him that Rory was at Marty's home. He explained, Jess' concern about Rory and Emily insisted that she go and see her. Luke suggested that they go together. He arrived at two o'clock at her home and rang the bell. Berta answered the door and gave Luke a warm hug. Berta knew how much Emily respected her son in law and knew how he cared for her. Emily quickly came out of the parlor and had her coat and purse ready to leave. He helped her with her coat and apologized for using his truck. Emily looked at it and gave Luke the keys to her car.

"Luke, I am eighty years old and I am not about to climb into your truck. So, would you mind if we took my car?"

"No Emily, not at all. He walked over to her car, and opened the door for her to get in. He got in the driver's seat and they took off.

"Luke, do you know exactly what has been going on?"

"This is what Jess has told me, Ace was investigating the Fantones and the money laundering scheme that they had been arrested for. Apparently, he knew the family before he met Rory. I guess he knew the daughter very well. He was being blackmailed by the family over the paternity issue of a child that was born out of wedlock. Jess says he has proof that Ace was not the father of the child, however, Ace was killed when he was in France delivering the DNA report to the people who were blackmailing him."

"So why does this involve the Huntzbergers and Rory?"

"I guess we will find that all out today."


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74**

Emily and Luke drive over to Marty's home just as Marty and Logan pulled into the driveway.

"Martin, Logan, what are you doing here?" Emily asked them as she got out of her car.

Logan walked over to Emily and took her elbow he leaned in and gently kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello Emily, Luke," Logan said to them.

Marty shook Luke's hand and gave Emily a hug and an air kiss. "Come in. I am sure Rory will be glad to see you."

Logan shook Luke's hand.

The four-people walked into the house through the front door. Marty placed his keys in the bowl in the entrance way as he walked in and called to Rory.

"Hey Princess, I am here, we have more guests."

"Babe? We are in the front room," she answered and quickly walked to the entranceway. Without greeting her guests, she went right to his arms and closed her eyes as he hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Where's that kiss you promised." He smiled down at her and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She returned his kiss and ran her fingers through his hair on the back of his head. Suddenly she heard some feet shuffling and someone clearing their throat. She opened her eyes and looked and saw, Logan, Luke and her grandmother standing there.

"Oh, Luke, Logan, Grandma. I am sorry." She quickly went over and hugged her grandmother then turned to Luke and hugged and kissed him on the cheek. She smiled at Logan and then awkwardly she hugged him. He also felt awkward, especially now that he learned he bought her fiancé's apartment. Rory led them all into the dining room, where Jess, Finn, and Tristan had been sitting talking. Marty went and got the rest of the chairs and placed them around the table. Then he and Rory went into the kitchen to get more beers and turn on the hot water for tea for Rory and her grandmother.

Before returning to the dining room, Marty pulled Rory into his arms.

"I've been worried about you all day," he told her as he placed his hand on her belly. He felt their little guy give him a kick.

She smiled and whispered, "We missed you. But I am ok now that you are here. I'm sorry I had to leave the city. I couldn't be there anymore. I had to figure things out."

"Babe, we will figure this all out together."

"I know, but…" she didn't get to finish what she was going to say when the boiling water in the kettle began to whistle. She poured the boiling water into the teapot she had set out and added the tea bags to it. She then put it on a tray with two mugs and lemon, cream and sugar. She also pulled out the cookies that Finn had picked up at the bakery and put them on the plate along with the cheese and crackers she was cutting when Marty came home. Marty took the tray from her, and she carried in the beers for the men. Marty then placed the food and drinks on the table, Rory then sat down across from Tristan beside Logan and Marty. Finn looked at them biting his bottom lip and wondering if this was going to work out ok. He was concerned with what she was going to say to Logan and what she was going to ask Tristan.

Marty took Rory's hand in his and gently squeezed it. She looked over at Tristan and smiled.

"Grandma, Luke, I don't know if you remember Tristan Dugrey. Janlan Dugrey's grandson. You might remember that Tristan and I went to high school together at Chilton."

"Yes, I remember Tristan, you came to Rory's birthday party when she was 16. How are your parent's? I haven't seen them since Richard passed away," Emily said quietly.

"Yes, I did, Mrs. Gilmore and it is good seeing you again. My parents are doing well, still traveling the world."

Luke whispered to Jess and said, "Tristan isn't he the one that Rory and Lorelai called Spawn of Satan and Bible Boy?"

Jess smiled his crooked smile and said, "The same."

The whisper and the comment were loud enough for Logan, Finn, and Marty to hear. They looked at Tristan and Rory.

Finn leaned over to Jess and said, "Lorelai referred to me as the limo boy and Exotic one, Marty was the naked guy, did she have a nickname for all of Rory's male friends?"

Jess chuckled, "Yup, I was the delinquent… don't ask."

Tristan heard Finn's whisper and Jess' reply and smiled.

"Yes, Mare and I have a history. But until I received a phone call from Marty, we hadn't seen each other since I left Chilton our junior year."

"Mare? Ror, is this the guy in high school that you talked about, and Paris said that I was the second blonde trust fund boy?" Logan asked.

"Logan, yes but that was a long time ago, and it seems like I am living a life of Sixth Degree of Separation. It seems that you are all connected to me, even you and Ace."

She squeezed Marty's hand and then turned to her grandmother and Luke.

"I don't know if you are aware of what has been going on. We recently found out some disturbing news that centers around Ace, my former fiancé, Logan's former fiancé, and his parents. Before we explain this to you, I would like it if Tristan, Logan and I go up to Marty's office and talk privately."

She knew Marty would understand and she looked at Jess and Finn. They both smiled at her and nodded their heads. Luke also nodded, but it was Emily who was ready to protest. Before she could say anything, Luke looked at Emily and said, "Emily everything will be explained to us shortly."

Rory stood up, and the two men followed Rory upstairs to Marty's office.

After she had called Tristan, she had Finn and Jess pull up the notes on Marty's computer that Jess had translated and saved on an SD drive that he had with him. He and Finn had been discussing this last translation when Rory had called that morning. Now everything had fallen into place.

"Tristan, Logan, I remembered something that Ace had told me once while we were dating about being an investigative reporter. That was, 'always check the source than double check them,'" she told them.

"Before you came, I had Jess and Finn show me the information that Jess and Steph had translated. Marty and Colin found a filing cabinet in his apartment and found some interesting information. I want to share that with you now."

She booted up the computer and showed the information that she found.

"Tristan, I think this is the missing information that the FBI and Marty have been looking for."

Then she turned to Logan and said, "Logan, I feel so bad that your family was involved, and my Ace died." She placed her hand on her stomach as she felt the baby began to kick.

"Rory, this shows the connection to the Russian underground. Not only were the Fontane's involved with this but many other families were connected. Logan, if your father can explain to Interpol how they contacted him, there might be a way of saving your parents from time away in jail."

Logan looked at this information and shook his head. He had no idea that his father had gotten so involved with the underbelly of the world. Logan continued to read; there was more. Mitchum was involved with Odette. While she was dating Ace, she was also having an affair with him.

Logan sat there in shock. His father was willing to pimp out his son so that he could have money and keep his mistress close. He was so angry at this moment; he couldn't talk.

Rory watched Logan's reaction as he read this information, and, even after all this time away, could tell how Logan was feeling. She walked over to him and pulled him into an embrace.

"Logan, we are connected since the day we met at the coffee cart. We will always stay connected. Please let me help you with this."

Logan looked at Rory with tears in his eyes. "Rory, I never should have told you now or never. I should never have cheated on you. I was a spoiled child who only thought of myself, and rebelling against authority, mainly my father's. You were the one good thing in my life, and I have lost you."

Rory held him as he wept. "Logan, you haven't lost me. I still have a love for you in my heart just as I have for Tristan, Finn, Jess, and Ace. It was just never meant for us to be together forever as partners."

She kissed him tenderly on the cheek, and Logan looked into her beautiful blue eyes.

He smiled and said, "Rory you are too good for me, but I do understand. Marty is a lucky man. I know he will be a good father to your little guy. But I told him if he ever does anything to hurt you, I will be there for you both."

"I know, and Tristan… thank you for everything. You and I never had the chance. I am sorry I ran away and cried when you first kissed me."

Tristan laughed and pulled her into his arms. "Mare, you have always been a special person. Your memory kept me going when I went away to military school, and I always looked for someone like you. I finally found her. You have met her, Jenny, at the studio? I placed her there to make sure you would be safe. Colin and Finn were very worried that someone might come after you."

"Thank you, Tris," she said kissing him on the cheek.

The three of them walked down the stairs and back to the group sitting around the table. Marty got up and said, "Babe, is everything ok now?"

She looked at Tristan and Logan, "I think we are all going to be ok."

Sitting down again, Rory looked at Tristan and said, "Grandma, Tristan is going to explain everything now." Rory then got up and went back into the kitchen and filled the tea kettle. She then put it back on the stove to boil. As Tristan explained to Emily about the case he had worked on involving the Fontane's, Logan filled them all in on his family's involvement. Marty quietly left the table and went into the kitchen. He saw Rory standing at the sink leaning against it with her head down. He walked behind her and wrapped his hands around her belly and gently stroked her. She closed her eyes and leaned back into his muscular body.

"I'm here. It is over now. You and the baby will be ok, I promise."

She turned around in his arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Marty," she whispered to him.

He pulled away from her and looked at her, and with his thumb, he wiped a tear away from her cheek.

"Thank you for what?"

"For your patience, for your love, for helping me."

"I told you I would protect you and be here for you no matter what. I love you. You are my everything since I met you that morning in Yale."

She started to laugh, "Yes, my first naked guy. Did you know I was still a virgin when I met you that day? You were the first naked guy that I ever saw."

Smiling at her, "Tell me is that why Tristan referred to you as Mary in high school and you referred to him as Bible Boy?"

"Yes, it was so long ago. I guess there is truth to the theory of Sixth Degrees of Separation, any person on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. Look how we are all connected."

He smiled down at her, "And now we are going to be connected forever."

"I Love you Marty." She leaned up and kissed him in a deep passionate kiss.

"Feeling better?" Marty asked her as the kettle began to whistle. He took it off the stove and moved it on the cutting board that he kept next to the stove. He filled the teapot that she brought with her in the kitchen and added the boiled water.

"Yes, let's go back to our guest," she said and kissed him once more, and they both walked back into the dining room.

Tristan had just finished explaining the involvement with Logan's parents and how HPG was affected.

Logan looked at everyone and said, "Now I have to make a tough choice. My father has been removed as CEO of the company, and I was asked to take over. This company not only provides my parents with their wealth, but it also provides salary for my father's siblings and their families along with all the employees that they have. I can't let them go under."

Squeezing Marty's hand, Rory spoke, "Logan, how can I help?"

"Rory, I can't ask you to help. My family has almost destroyed your life."

Emily spoke up, "Nonsense, Logan. I am sure we can all do something to help you. Martin, aren't you a financial lawyer?"

"Yes, Emily I am. In fact, Logan's family just hired me to help them with this problem. After looking through their portfolio, I would recommend that they need financial investors so that they can acquire some companies that can provide them with a profit, so they can get out of this mess. Mitchum did not encourage his publishing houses to go digital. He believed in the print." Marty explained.

"Excuse me, can I say something?" Jess asked the group.

"Logan, as you know I own a small publishing company, the type of companies that large companies like yours try to buy out. One reason we never went with your company and why I hesitated to join them with my new book is because they didn't move into the digital world."

"Yes, I understand Jess, and I am sure that is why my father was running out of money, he didn't put the money back into the publishing companies, and with the newspapers and magazine going digital he couldn't keep up. That was why I decided to leave the company. He refused to move forward, and all he thought about was his own personal wealth," Logan said in disgust.

Rory reached over to Logan and put her hand in his, "Rory I don't deserve your forgiveness for the pain my family caused you."

"Logan, we meant a lot to each other at one time, I may not love you the way I did when I was 22, but I still have love in my heart for you. If I can help you, I want to. Ace and my grandparents have left me a lot of money. If I can help you save HPG so that families don't lose their jobs than I will."

Luke looked across the table at his stepdaughter, and he was so proud of her. Lorelai raised an amazing young woman, she was stronger than she knows, like her mother.

Emily spoke up again, "Logan, I need to meet with my lawyers, and I want to talk to Marty, Rory, and her father. I am sure that we can come up with something. Now Luke, would you mind bringing me home, I have a friend coming to take me to dinner. Rory and Marty, I expect to see you tomorrow night for Friday night dinner and you are all welcome to join us; it would be nice to have my table filled with friendly faces again." Emily rose from the table, and Luke stood and helped her up. Marty and Rory followed her grandmother to the door and made sure she had her coat on.

"Thank you, grandmother," Rory told her, and she hugged her tightly.

"Rory, I am sorry for being such a bitter woman these last two years. I am here for you, Marty, and your baby, remember that. Also, your little "Richard" needs to be healthy so no more lying on the cold ground at the cemetery crying. If you need to cry, come to my house. I will be here all winter." With that, she pulled Rory into her arms and kissed her cheek.

Luke went over to Rory and gave her a hug. "I am very proud of you kid, and your mother would be too. If you need me, call me. I know Finn, Jess, and Marty will take care of you."

With that Luke and Emily left their home. Marty wrapped his arms around Rory and returned to the dining room where Finn, Jess, Logan, and Tristan were still sitting.

"Mate, where's the scotch? I think it is time we took it out and have a drink. Also, I think you better call Colin over too and let him know what is going on."

"Finn come with me, I know where Marty keeps it," she said and led Finn to the wet bar in the basement where Marty had all his liquor stored.

"Love, are you ok helping Logan out financially?"

"Finn I am. He came as soon as he heard about Ace dying. Just like you, our love and friendship come first. I could not have made it through these last two years without you in my life. You saw what a mess I was when I wasn't with you around. You saved me, and now it's time to save him."

Finn pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. They both had tears in their eyes. His eyes were watery when he pulled away from her.

"Damn hormones," she said to him. He laughed and gave her a big kiss on her lips. "Come on Love; Logan needs us and his best friend, Macallan."

The two of them laughed and walked back up the stairs. Rory knew now that all was right in her life. She stood back as she looked at the table with all the men that were in her life. Jess and Tristan were boys when they first met but now men who would do anything to help and protect her. Then there were the men from Yale, Marty, Finn and Logan, the three men she loved most in the world.

Her doorbell rang, and she turned to answer it. There stood her best friend and the other man she loved. Colin. Her protector, her advisor and best friend to both her and Marty. She hugged them both, and the tears began to leak down her cheek as she hugged Steph.

Steph looked at her and said, "Hormones?" and Rory nodded, and the two girls laughed. They all moved into the dining room as Marty called for take-out.

After everyone had left, Marty and Rory went upstairs to get ready for bed. Rory put on the Yale T-shirt that Marty had brought for her. She was sitting up in bed with her laptop on her lap, and she was typing out messages to Brie and Dan. She wanted them to know that she was okay and that they could be in touch with her tomorrow if needed. Marty came out of the bathroom in his pajama bottoms and crawled into bed with her. He put his hand on her belly and started talking to the baby.

"Hey little guy, I want you to rest tonight. Mommy needs her sleep."

Rory started to giggle, and she closed her laptop and placed it on the nightstand. Marty started to lift her t-shirt and kiss her belly. He continued to kiss up her abdomen towards her breast. She began to groan as he massaged one and sucked on the nipple of her left breast. She ran her fingers through his hair. He slowly continued to kiss up her neck and peppering kisses on her face. He kissed her lips as she bit his lip. Running her hands down his side to his hip she pulled his pajamas off him, and she put her hand around his erection and began to massage him. He rolled over on his back, and she straddled him. Marty's hand came to her hips and guided her on him. She leaned down and licked and sucked one of his nipples.

'Rory," he cried through his clenched teeth.

She then bit his nipple until it was erect and moved over to his other one. His fingers dug into her hips signaling that he was about to come. She pressed herself down on his pelvis, and then she clenched her muscles. The two of them were panting, and both went over the edge together. Still joined together she collapsed on his chest. He rubbed her back as she kissed his neck and chest.

Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, "I love you,"

Sitting up and looking at him she said, "I love you too."

She slowly moved off him, and the two of them cuddled together. Soon she went to sleep with her head on his chest. He closed his eyes as he listened to her steady breathing. He thought about what had happened the last few days and tonight. He felt good that he was able to clear the air with Logan, and so amazed that his fiancée despite everything, was able to offer to help Logan but letting him know that she was in love with Marty.

Rory fell into a deep sleep with her head on his chest.

Rory was dreaming that she had her head on her mother's shoulder.

" _Mom, I need your help." Her mother was stroking her hair as Rory was resting her head on her shoulder._

" _Ror, I can't tell you what to do. You know the right answer," she said soothingly to her._

" _You told me to look in front of me, and he was standing there, is he still standing there...my soul mate?"_

" _Yes, he is. He has never faltered. He has been by your side guiding you, through everything, these last few months. He is your Knight; he will fight for you and protect you."_

" _But what about Finn and Logan?"_

" _Ror, you are lucky. They love you and will be there too, but in a different way."_

" _Now it is time for me to say goodbye." Rory felt someone kiss her forehead._

" _Mom, don't go? What about grandma? What should I do with her?"_

" _Listen to your grandmother Rory. You and the baby are all she has left. She loves you."_

" _Grandpa is that you? Yes, Rory, I will always be close. Look I brought someone who wants to say something."_

" _Ma Jolie, be safe. I know that you will be protected. You are strong. Use my gifts to you and our son wisely. Je dois partir, mon amour. Mais Je ne suis jamais loin._ _Je suis toujours dans votre cœur._ _(_ _ **I must leave you my love, but I will never be far away. I am always there in your heart.)"**_

" _Ace," she whispers._

 _Then in her dreams, she hears the song by James Blunt;_ _ **Goodbye**_ _ **My Lover**_ _._ _She begins to sing to Ace as he fades away,_

' _ **I've kissed your lips and held your head.**_

 _ **Shared your dreams and shared your bed.**_

 _ **I know you well, I know your smell.**_

 _ **I've been addicted to you.**_

 _ **Goodbye my lover.**_

 _ **Goodbye my friend.**_

 _ **You have been the one.**_

 _ **You have been the one for me.**_

 _ **I am a dreamer but when I wake,**_

 _ **You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.**_

 _ **And as you move on, remember me,**_

 _ **Remember us and all we used to be' *"**_

Marty wakes up when he feels his chest getting wet. He looks down at Rory and sees that tears are falling from her eyes. He kisses her, and her eyes flutter open.

"Hey Rory, sweetheart. I am here."

Rory sits up and wipes away the tears from her eyes. Marty reaches over and turns on the night light and looks at his phone. It is three am. She gets out of bed and walks into the bathroom. She is standing at the sink washing her hands when Marty comes in and wraps his arms around her.

"Are you ok? You were crying in your sleep."

Leaning her head back onto his chest she looks at his reflection in the mirror. "It was another dream; they came to say goodbye."

"Who Babe?"

"My mother, my grandfather, and Ace. They told me that they will always be close. Ace told me to be strong and to use his gifts for our child and me. My mother told me that you would fight for me and protect me."

"She's right I will always do that for you. She turned into Marty's arms and put her arms around his chest. "Ace told me that he will always be in my heart."

"Yes Rory, he will."

"Marty, I love you so much." She then put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

They returned to bed and fell asleep again cuddled in each other's arms. Rory finally slept without dreaming the rest of the night.

* **James Blunt** **Goodbye My Lover**


	75. Chapter 75

_**A/N There are only five chapters left of this story. This will be the only story I will publish on Fanfiction due to the rude comments of some of the readers. If you wish to read my next story it is being published on Wattpad. It is a #FinnFiction**_

 _ **JLDP3**_

 **Chapter 75**

Rory woke up and reached over and felt her bed empty. She turned and looked at the clock and noticed it was ten am. She never sleeps this late. She got up and quickly put on Marty's Yale sweatshirt and her sweatpants.

"Marty? Where are you?"

"Hey babe, I'm in the dining room. Would you like some tea?"

Marty got up and filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove and turned it on.

"Why did you let me sleep so long?" she asked him.

"Because, my love, you needed to sleep," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap and kissed her. He snuggled his face into her neck and continued to kiss her.

"You are tickling me," she giggled as he continued to give her feather kisses on her neck and behind her ear.

"Good, I love to hear you giggle."

The kettle began to whistle, and she got up and put a tea bag in her mug and poured the water into it.

"What do you want to eat this morning? And don't tell me pop tarts," he teased.

"Just some yogurt and fruit," she told him. He got up and going to the refrigerator he took out a cup of yogurt, melon and fresh berries and placed them on the counter for her. She filled her bowl with berries and melon and then mixed the yogurt on top.

"I have been thinking. Why don't we drive over to New Haven and check out some places to book our wedding," she told him.

"Are you sure you still want to do it?"

"Wait, don't you want to marry me?"

"Yes, of course I do, I just thought you might want to wait."

"Do you?"

"No, I want you to be Mrs. Knight. I want the baby to take my name."

"Then why wait? Let's see if we can find a place to get married unless you want to get married here in Hartford?"

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her he said, "Let's look at both places and see who can accommodate us. She kissed him back and smiled. "Ok, I am going to go and take a shower and then we can leave."

Rory and Marty headed out to New Haven. Neither one of them had been back since they had graduated. They parked the car in the visitor's parking lot and holding hands they began to walk around the campus.

"Do you know how many times I wanted to either hold your hand or put my arm around you as we walked around campus to get coffee?" he told her as he put his arm around her and pulled her in for a tender kiss.

She looked up at him and said, "How many?"

"Oh, every day since the first day I met you. Hey over there, isn't that the coffee cart?"

"Marty, it is, it is our coffee cart. We were standing right here when those three silly trust fund boys, who happened to be your close friends, came around the corner and bumped into you."

"One green tea and one coffee please," he told the barista standing behind the cart.

He started to chuckle thinking about how Colin and Finn's behavior that day, brought their lives crashing together and changing their lives forever.

"It seems like a lifetime ago," she told him as he handed her the tea. She grabbed his coffee and took a big sniff.

"Thank you," she said handing him back his coffee then giving him a tender kiss on the lips.''

"Ror, do you have an idea where you want to look for a place to get married?" he asked her as they began to walk around campus. She cuddled into his side as the cool November wind blew past them.

"Well, I thought we could check out the Omni Hotels and Resort, The Union League Cafe, and the New Haven Lawn Club."

Marty and Rory went to each of the places that she mentioned. No one had any availability until 2018. Disappointed they walked around campus. They headed towards their old dorm walking hand in hand.

As they were walking, he said, "I know you don't want a large wedding, is there somewhere else you want to get married in Hartford?"

"Well we can look there, but I am afraid both my grandmothers might have something to say about it, and our small ceremony will turn into a society event of the year."

He kissed the top of her head, and they walked back to the car.

"Times like this I wish my mom was here, "she said.

"Why don't you call your mom's best friend?" he suggested.

"Marty, that's a great idea. When we get back home, I will give Sookie a call."

They stopped for lunch at the Poor Rich Man's Shoe. They walked in, and they noticed it was quiet for a Friday afternoon. Marty soon realized that tomorrow once all the alumni appeared this bar would be busy. He ordered a sparkling soda with lemon for Rory, and he got himself a Sam Adams beer. They sat down at a quiet table and waited for one of the waitstaff to come and take their order. When she appeared, Marty ordered a chef salad for her, a hamburger for himself and a double order of fries, knowing that Rory would eat more than half of them. He leaned across the table and moved some hair out of her face.

Taking her hands in his he kissed her fingers, "I want to say something to you."

"What?"

"I am proud of what you did yesterday. I know it must have been hard for you to sit and listen to everything, especially everything about Logan's family."

"Yes, it was. But Marty, he is our friend, and I can't see him hurt like that. He helped me when my world came crashing down on me. I have all this money now; I believe that Logan will not squander my money. I have decided that I can invest in his company and help him. I believe Ace would want me to do it."

"Well as the chief financial officer now of HPG, I will make sure that the money will be used carefully and that you will not lose money."

"How much will he need?"

"We can go over the numbers; when we get home. Then on Monday, we can look through everything, and after we talk with Colin, you can decide what your initial investment will be."

They sat there eating their lunch lost in thought when he decided to ask her the next question, "Rory,"

"Hmm?"

"Did you know that Logan was the one who bought Ace's apartment?"

"What? No. How did you find out?"

"I took him to his apartment yesterday, so he could pick up some clothes for the weekend. He is staying at his family's home while he is in Hartford. I was surprised when he gave me the address and then went up into the apartment."

She sat there quietly not knowing what to say or how she felt about it.

"Babe? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm just shocked. Do you think Steph knew?"

"No, if she did, or Colin did they would have said something."

Marty and Rory left their home at six forty-five to make it to Emily's home for dinner at seven. They got there at six fifty. They noticed that Luke and Finn's car was there already.

"Interesting, so I wonder if Logan will arrive shortly."

As soon as Marty said that, Logan's car pulled in behind theirs. Logan got out of the car carrying a box of imported candy for Emily.

"Always the one who knew what the ladies' like," Rory said as she saw the box of imported chocolate in his hand.

"I am always prepared," Logan said.

"Huh, but I know that you're no boy scout!" she said to him with a smirk.

"Oh Ace, you stabbed me," he put his hand over his heart teasing her back.

They were back, she thought as she heard his quick reply to her.

"Come on you two, Emily will be waiting," before Rory could hesitate about walking back to her car, Marty rang the bell.

Berta answered the door and pulled Rory into a hug, "Come, come," she indicated, and they walked in. Marty making sure it was his hand around Rory's waist.

They walked into the sitting room where she saw Luke, Jess, Finn, her Grandmother and her grandmother's friend Jack. Emily introduced Jack to her granddaughter, Marty and Logan. Emily still secretly wished that it was Logan that her granddaughter was engaged too, but she held the utmost respect for Marty. Richard had always liked Marty and often had said that he had wished that their friendship would turn into something special. Well, he was right and now looking at her granddaughter's face, she knew that this was the man for her. She never cared for Ace and hearing how he had been involved with Logan's ex-made her decide that she had been correct. He wasn't the right one. She so hopes that when this child was born that she would be able to accept him.

The doorbell rang again, and Berta led Stephanie and Colin into the room. Rory was relieved that Steph was here, she understood how her grandmother made her feel, so it would be good to have an ally in the room.

After the introductions and drinks were served Emily said, "Good everyone is here. Rory your father and grandmother weren't able to join us, but they want to meet with you tomorrow."

"Grandmother why aren't they here? I am not available tomorrow. In fact, early tomorrow morning, Marty, Finn, Logan, Steph, Colin and myself will be going to the Yale reunion. Logan and I are on a panel sponsored by the Yale Dailey news, so we have to be there early."

Rory was beginning to feel angry at her grandmother for trying to manipulate the situation to her advantage. She knew she was up to something and this dinner was too good to be true.

"Rory we will talk about it later," Emily replied and gave her a thin smile.

"Excuse me."

Rory got up and taking her phone she walked into the bathroom off the study. She locked the door and sat down on the toilet. She thought to herself; she is not going to do this to me. She quickly called her father.

"Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"Dad, I am at Grandma Emily's for Friday night dinner. She told me that you and Grandma Francine couldn't make it tonight."

"What? Rory, we were never invited. What's going on?"

"I don't know, how soon can you be here?"

"Your grandmother and I could be there in five to ten minutes."

"Thanks, Dad," and she hung up knowing that her father was coming. She now had everyone there who would support her. She didn't trust her grandmother. She heard a knock on the bathroom door. It was Emily.

"Rory is everything alright?"

Rory flushed the toilet and stood up running the water washing her hands.

"Yes, grandmother, I will be right out."

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and felt the baby kicking. This time she also had a sharp pain in her back. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She slowly opened the door and felt the pain again. Rory grabbed the door frame, she slowly inhaled and blew it out. Marty came looking for her and saw her standing there.

"Babe, what's the matter?" He asked with deep concern in his voice.

"The baby kicked, and then I started to get these sharp pains."

"Have you had much water to drink today? I know how busy we were, I don't remember you refilling your water bottle at all." He helped her back to the couch. He asked Berta to bring her a cup of herbal tea and took the glass of sparkling cider away from her.

"Rory what's the matter is it the baby?" her grandmother asked.

"I don't know I just had these sharp pains for the first time."

Steph came over to the couch and sitting beside her she took her hand and said, "Remember they told us that in the Lamaze class this might happen? They are the Braxton Hicks contractions. Juliet said to breathe through those, remember our Yoga training."

Rory began to breathe with Steph. The room became silent as the men all watched. Colin was so proud of his wife. He was so glad she insisted on going tonight with him to this dinner., Steph had a bad feeling after listening to Emily yesterday. She felt that she would manipulate something that would make Rory indebted to her. As they were breathing the doorbell rang again, and Berta brought in Christopher and her Grandmother Francine. Emily was shocked to see them; she hadn't included them. She was going to call them later tonight after she told her of her plans. Chris noticed that Rory was doing deep breaths. He came over to her and knelt in front of her.

"Hey Ror, are you ok?"

"I am now," she sighed as she took a sip of the herbal tea that Berta had brought her and rubbed her belly. The baby kicked as soon as he heard Christopher's voice. Taking his hand, she placed it on her stomach so that he could feel the baby kick. This time it kicked again. Chris beamed and said, "I think we have a soccer player, Luke." Both men chuckled.

Chris stood up and accepted the drink that Berta gave him, and Francine asked for a sherry which Berta brought her. They both sat down.

Rory looked at her father and two grandmothers and said," I know that Grandmother Emily has asked everyone to dinner tonight, but I want to explain to Dad and Grandma Francine about what we just found out."

She continued speaking explaining to them about what had just transpired the last few weeks, including the arrest of Mitchum, Shira and Honor's involvement and the loss of business revenue for HPG. Marty and Colin joined in explaining how the finances for HPG had been affected.

She looked at Logan and said, "I have recently inherited a lot of money, more than I can ever use in my lifetime. Marty and I discussed this; I want to invest in HPG, on the publishing side of the company. I have three publishing companies that we can add to your company's portfolio and with the money I invest we can bring the publishing company into the twenty-first century."

At this point, Logan finally commented.

"Rory, I can't let you get involved. Listen I am sure I can come up with a solution, maybe putting the company on the open market and selling my family's shares."

"Logan," she said walking over to him and holding his hand, "Marty and I spoke. This is how I can help. Now you will have money to invest back into your company from people you know and trust."

"Rory, I can't…"

At this point, Marty interrupted and said, "Logan, she can and insists. You know you can't argue with this beautiful woman. When her mind is made up nothing will change it."

Looking at Marty for approval, Logan walked over to her and hugged her tight. "Ace, I don't know what to say."

She pulled away from him and gently kissed him on the cheek. "There is nothing to say. We were best friends and lovers once, and now we will be connected forever."

He had tears in his eyes when he thinks how he selfishly had thrown this beautiful woman away ten years ago.

"Grandma, I want to thank you for having us all together so that we can help Logan. Everyone I think dinner will be served shortly. Let's go into the dining room and have dinner. This son of mine needs sustenance."

The group began to start laughing, and Jess said, "Doogie, nothing ever stood between you and food."

She hugged Jess. It had been a long time since he had used the nickname he had given her when they were young. As they all walked into the dining room, Luke held her back.

"Rory, I am not sure what your grandmother had planned for this little dinner meeting, but I am so proud of you for turning this dinner party around into a celebration. Jess and I were very concerned that your grandmother had something up her sleeve. I know your mother would be very proud of you."

He then kissed her on the forehead.

As they walked into the dining room, they saw that all the seats were taken up. Rory smiled and went to Berta and asked her to add two place settings for her and Luke and put them beside Christopher so that she could sit between her two fathers."

Emily was about to object, but Rory looked at her Grandmother and said, "Grandma, I am so glad you made pot roast tonight, you know that it is my favorite meal."

Emily didn't say anything, and Berta quickly set the table the way Rory requested. Then she brought out the meal. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and as it was ending, she looked across the table to Marty.

"Marty and I have an announcement."

She stood up and walked over to him and stood beside him putting her hand on his shoulder. "We have decided to get married before the baby's due date. Today we looked at places at Yale, but they did not have any that would be available. Since we don't want to wait any longer, Luke, I would like to ask you and Sookie if we could get married at either the Dragonfly Inn or the Annex. We would like to be around January 1, 2017."

Luke and Christopher smiled at her. Luke said, "I am sure that we can arrange that. I will have Michel and Sookie get right on it. As soon as your schedule allows it, you and Marty can come to Stars Hollow and talk to us."

Everyone got up and went over and congratulated them. Logan was the first, and he shook Marty's hand. "I know you will treat her right. Now, I want to offer you both something. We can talk more about it next week, but I have an offer for you."

Colin had just walked over to them. 

"Colin, I would like you and Marty to draw up papers so that Rory becomes a shareholder and have a seat on the HPG board. This way the money that she brings with her to invest in the company will be safe and she will have an equal say in how we invest in the future of HPG."

"No Logan, that isn't necessary. I would rather be a silent partner," Rory protested.

"Rory, listen to Logan, this could help him out. With you on the board, his father cannot try to come back and buy shares to take over," Colin said.

"Yes, Ace, I agree. Plus, this could guarantee your son and your future children a job if they want it in HPG."

"Logan can we talk about it next week. I want to enjoy this weekend, and I hope you can too. Are you going to go to the LPG event on Saturday evening?"

"Yes, I am, and in fact, I am bringing an old friend of ours."

"Oh good, it will be great to sit back and reminisce."

Putting her arm around Marty's waist, she said, "Logan, thank you for still being my friend and having my back."

"I always will, Ace, and I hope you can develop the same feelings for me as you have for Jess and Finn."

"Oh, I am sure she will, Logan. Please remember your always welcome in our home," Marty added.

"Thank you that means a lot to me," the two men shook hands and then gave each other a hug patting the other on the back.

"Listen, I have to go and get everything ready for tomorrow. Ace I will see you and Marty between nine-thirty, ten o'clock to set up the panel?"

"We will be there Logan." Logan turned and found Emily.

"Emily, thanks again for including me in this lovely dinner."

"Logan anytime. And Logan, I am sure things will work out the way you want them to."

"Emily, they have already, more than I expected them too. Thanks again."

Logan walked out the door. Slowly the people left leaving Jack and Emily alone in the home.

"I am sorry that things didn't go as planned, Emily," he said holding her hand and bringing her fingers to his lips. "You do have a remarkable granddaughter."

"Thank you, she is remarkable. Lorelai, though I hate to admit it, did a wonderful job raising her."

"And you didn't have to invest any of your own money. Did you know that your granddaughter was so wealthy?"

"No, I had no idea. As far as I knew Rory had a small trust fund. I wonder where she got all that money."


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter 76**

They arrived on campus at nine o'clock. Marty and Rory walked past their old dorm talking about everything that had happened yesterday.

"How can I be on the board, work at the station, raise our son and be your wife?

"Babe, it will all work out. Today and tonight we are going to forget about this. Soon you and I will be married, and we will have a family. "

They arrived at the Dell Brown Room of Turner Hall at 9:45. Logan was there along with Doyle and Glenn. Paris was called into the hospital for an emergency and was not able to make it. Logan had a list of topics that they would discuss:

 **The importance of a journalism degree**

when it comes to "abilities in news gathering, editing and presenting the news

 **Traditional media players**

Today the news media was slow to recognize how their business model was going to be undercut by technology and how the Internet would transform a precious commodity into something with little or no value. Logan felt strongly about this since this was the reason, HPG was in jeopardy.

 **Integrity in journalism** ,

This was very important to Logan and it was something that he has been struggling with, since the news of his father's involvement with Ace's death and blackmail.

Rory looked over these bullets and agreed with them. She asked Logan if she could add another bullet and that was:

 **Women's role in journalism**.

The lack of gender equality, it was still a male-dominated industry where the males reported the hard news and the women were over looked and so were their opinions. There were very few female anchors and she wanted to see this change. She had her research with her.

.

Logan was impressed with her research and he added this to their panel discussion. Now he was disappointed that Paris wasn't there because she would be leading this debate.

The panel started at 11:00 and it brought many eager journalism graduates to hear the discussion from the HPG CEO. They were shocked when they saw how young he was. The discussions and questions were very animated, it was recorded not only by the local TV station, but Dan made sure that he had a crew there to tape the discussion. When he saw the feed later that weekend, he convinced Chris that this was something that they should do as an editorial piece. They were all proud of Rory and her skills as a member of the panel but also the way she was able to mediate the discussions. Chris began to see his producer in a new light.

When the panel was over they all mingled with the audience for a while. Marty came up to her and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"I am so proud of you babe. You were amazing."

Liam and Gabe came up to them too. Looking at her Liam asked, "Are you sure you don't want a job in our news agency? We could use a strong woman on our team,"

Liam asked her.

Logan hearing this walked over, "Ace, I concur, we could use you."

"Liam and Logan, thank you both for the offer, but my priorities are changing," she said as she gently rubbed her belly. Her little guy decided to give her a big kick at that time.

Logan turned and hugged her, "Rory the offer is always available if you decide to take it."

They left the building and they all decided to head to Rich Man Shoe for a few drinks.

Logan, Marty, Liam and Gabby walked across the campus.

"Hey Marty, where is that coffee cart where you met Colin, Finn and Logan? Will we walk by it?" Gabby asked her brother.

Marty and Logan started to laugh. "Shall we show them, Marty? I bet Finn and Colin wouldn't mind reenact that moment in time."

"As long as I don't reenact the "naked guy" in front of Rory's dorm."

Rory winked at Marty and teased, "You can do that later tonight."

Gabby, Logan and Liam all said in unison, "TMI, guys."

They walked over to the bar and sat down, Finn, Colin and Steph were there already along with Doyle and Glenn. Steph and Rory had sparkling water and the men all had a drink. Finn and Colin had already ordered some appetizers knowing that the girls would be hungry. Gabby looked around at the bar.

"So, you all use to hang out here?" she asked them.

"Well I didn't, "Marty replied, "But they did."

"Yes, this was the guys booth and they would spend most of the time looking for girls. Finn was always after the elusive Redhead girl," Rory stated teasing Finn.

Juliet walked in and walked to their table. Finn stood up with a big grin on his face and made room for her to sit next to him. Steph and Rory looked at each other and grinned.

"What?" Finn asked them.

"Seems like your taste has changed," Rory said.

"Luv, you know it has."

Turning he kissed Juliet on the cheek. Logan looked on and gave a wink to Rory.

Finn looked at his phone and said, "Mates, our chariot awaits. We are all heading back to my club where the LDB reunion event is happening. I hope you have your attire. Colin, I think you have Marty and Rory's?"

"Yes, we are all set, Steph decided to have our clothing be delivered to our apartment in the city and their hair stylist be there to do their hair,"

Colin replied.

"Gabby, Logan, and Liam are you all prepared? You can join us at our apartment if you like?" Steph offered.

"No thank you, I will have your driver drop me off at my apartment," Logan said.

"Thanks Steph but I think the driver can drop us off at our building and we will meet you there."

"Ok let's get going. I have a limo for all of us. Glenn, Doyle we will see you later," Finn said as he shook their hand's goodbye.

They all left to attend the LDB event.

At seven o'clock the limo with Colin, Steph, Rory and Marty arrived at the Manhattan Cricket Club. The Valet opened their Limo door and they followed a gold carpet to the door of the Cricket Club. The Manhattan Cricket Club and its restaurant were closed for this Private Event. The main door was closed and the LDB members had to do a series of knocks to enter the event. Colin did the series of knocks as Steph, Marty, and Rory stood behind him grinning. Leave it to Finn to add this sense of mystery to the party. The door was opened by their favorite Mixologist Jason, who wore a tux and tails similar to what a waiter would wear in the 1920s. They gave their overcoats and wraps to the hat check girl who stood at the door where they would put their coats. She gave them a numbered ticket for their coats and wraps and the men each put them in their breast pocket.

Steph was wearing a beaded chiffon fringed knee length flapper dress, from the 1920s. The material that the dress was made from was a cream colored silk chiffon, the torso of the dress was embellished with a cobweb-style design of white glass beads. The neckline was bordered with superb open work. She looked stunning and had Rose, her stylist, cut her hair into a bob fashion that was popular back then. She wore long pearls around her neck and a beaded headband that matched the beads on her dress.

Rory was wearing an ivory Great Gatsby style dress by Nataya . It had an ethereal airy look which was very comfortable, and the tailor adjusted the dress perfectly to fit her growing belly. The material of the dress has a supple chiffon outer layer and had a cotton voile underdress. The off-center rose brings this beautiful dress to life and the corset back removes the need for a tailor. She had the stylist pull her hair back in a low bun and wore a beaded headband on her forehead. The men were proud of their beautiful wives and gently, with their hands in the middle of their backs, guided them into the room.

As they walked down the hall they could hear a live band playing music. A piano player was playing the song " **Anything Goes** ," and Rory and Steph stopped and began to dance the Charleston together. The men stood behind them and started to laugh. Marty grabbed Rory's hand and pulled her through a gold foil metallic curtain into the bar. Rory gasped as she looked around, everything was decorated in gold and black. A photo booth was set up and people could have their pictures taken. Marty and Rory sat down holding a large gold ornate picture frame around them. They sat looking at each other with grins on their faces. Steph and Colin sat and had their picture taken too. Next, the four of them had their picture taken together, this time the girls were sitting in the chairs and the men stood behind them putting their thumbs in their lapels standing straight and looking serious. Both girls had chosen feather boas to wear so they had those draped around their neck and shoulders. Once the pictures were taken they walked to one of the many bars set up around the room.

All the drinks were typical of the era. They were serving, French 75, Sidecars, High balls, the Bees Knees, DuBonnet Cocktail, the Mary Pickford, Tuxedo #2, Ward 8, Bacardi cocktail, Champagne Cocktails and of course the Long Island Iced Tea. The boys ordered their usual Scotch on the rocks and for the girls the boys asked them to make the girls a virgin Mary Pickford which was pineapple juice with grenadine and maraschino cherries. All it was missing was the rum.

The girls sipped their drinks that were put in martini glasses and began to wander around the room. The room had high tops so that people could stand around and talk to each other and in another area, tables were decorated with black tablecloths, draped with gold and white, with gold chargers for the formal dinner plates. Pearls and feathers draped over the centerpieces at each table.

Four bars were set up around the room near the tables. Four bartenders were at each bar serving the drinks of the day. Each bar had a sign, written on black paper in gold print framed in a gold antique frame that read, **"First you Take a Drink, Then the Drink takes a Drink Then the Drink Takes you."**

Walking around the room was a Cigarette Girl who had Candy Cigarettes for sale along with bubble gum Cigars. Another Cigarette Girl was selling Cuban Cigars and Lucky Strike cigarettes. Finn had thought of everything.

As they found a high top to stand at, Finn came over to them, looking dashing in his tuxedo with Juliette on his arm in a black flapper dress. Rory smiled at her friend. He seemed very happy and she hugged them both.

"Luv, I hope that your drink is a virgin," Finn teased as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yes, Marty and Colin made sure that your mixologist made us both virgin Mary Pickford's. They are quite good, I can't wait till after the baby is born where I can have the drink without it being a virgin."

They stood there talking for a while and a player piano began to play in the background. All the music was from the era of the 1920 - 1930s. Gabby and Liam came walking over to them.

Gabby was wearing a silk lace flapper dress, c.1929. The dress had the longer-in-back hemline which anticipates the full-length styles of the 1930s. The dress was made from exotic black lace with a sensational deep V-necklines in front and back looked stunning on her. She wore it over a nude color slip giving the illusion that there was nothing on underneath. When she walked out of her bedroom, when Liam picked her up, his draw dropped. She had her hair pulled and rolled into a popular bob style with a black beaded headband and a feather around her forehead. She had placed long white pearls around her neck and she wore long black gloves. Liam walked over to her and kissed her passionately.

'I don't want to leave the apartment," he whispered in her ear.

She laughed back at him and said, "We must, it's important that I show up or my brother will come looking for you."

As they approached the table all eyes were on her. Marty glared, and Rory started laughing. She took her hands in his and squeezed them.

"Look at me, if I wore that outfit what would you say?"

"I would tell you that as soon as we get home that dress would be on the floor. But Rory that's my sister."

"Exactly, but she is a beautiful woman and look at Liam. He is not looking at her with lust, but with love. Respect them. I couldn't be happier if they became my brother and sister in law."

Kissing Rory, he said, "I don't like it but for you, I will accept it."

"Good, now be polite."

He kissed her on the lips and smiled.

"Gabby, you look beautiful, doesn't she Marty," she told her as she poked Marty in the ribs.

"Yes, she does, Liam you don't look half bad yourself," he said trying not to sound upset over his sister's outfit.

Marty and Liam walked over to get more drinks for the table and stood at the bar for a while talking. Logan walked up to them both and shook their hands.

"Logan you look happier, did you receive more good news?"

"No but after last night and today I feel better. Marty I can't thank you enough for your support. I know I have been a jackass for a long time concerning you. I don't think I would have let Rory invest in your company if the situation was reversed."

"Logan, when it comes to Rory, I learned a long time ago when her mind is made up on something you let her run with it. She will pile up those pro/con lists and then she will rip them up and go back to what she feels right. If she doesn't rip up the pro/con lists, then you know she is having trouble making a decision."

They looked over at the high top where Steph, Gabby, and Rory were singing along with the piano. The three girls were singing along with the Cole Porter Song **De-Lovely.** Finn had joined him with his rich baritone voice singing loudly,

 **"Let yourself go!**

 **So please be sweet, my chickadee**

 **And when I kiss you, just say to me**

 **"It's delightful, it's delicious**

 **It's delectable, it's delirious**

 **It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe**

 **It's de-lovely"***

Finn in his normal fashion wiggled his eyebrows and proceeded to kiss Juliet. The group all began to laugh. He then turned to Rory and said, "Would you do me the honor of this dance?"

The player piano was playing the waltz, **Wunderba** r, by Cole Porter. They waltzed around the dance floor.

"Finn I never knew you could dance like this?"

"I always told you that I was exotic and with that comes a man of many mysteries."

He twirled around the dance floor, they were the only two out there. The crowd clapped again when the song was over and they both took a bow.

Logan came over with two drinks to the table and behind him came Bobby. She was wearing a Knee-Length sheath dress with vintage decoration and sequined flare sleeves with a fringe hem. She looked very attractive. He handed her a champagne cocktail and they all stood around and talked. The band came back on and began to play music by both George Gershwin and Cole Porter.

The band began to play the song **"The Man I Love"**. Rory remembered hearing her grandfather play this music and this song. He used to play this song and always told her he loved listening to Ella Fitzgerald sing the songs of Cole Porter.

She kissed Marty and said, "Dance with me."

Taking her to the dance floor they began to do a slow waltz around the room. Many other couples were now dancing. She began to sing the words to the song.

" **Someday he'll come along**

 **The man I love**

 **And he'll be big and strong**

 **The man I love**

 **And when he comes my way**

 **I'll do my best to make him stay**

 **He'll look at me and smile**

 **I'll understand**

 **And in a little while**

 **He'll take my hand**

 **And though it seems absurd**

 **I know we both won't say a word" ***

When the song ended she leaned up to him and they kissed. "I Love You Mr. Knight." Kissing again they forgot for a moment where they were. The next song that the orchestra played was "Our Love Was Here to Stay."

It seemed like the songs that were playing tonight were meant for Rory and Marty. It was a magical evening and they both spent most of the evenings in each other's arms dancing.

At two in the morning they left the party in the limo that brought them here. The limo dropped them off at Marty's apartment before heading to Colin and Steph's home. Saying goodbye to their friends they walked into their building. Rory laid her head on Marty's shoulder holding hands as they stood in the elevator.

"Marty this was the most magical night I have ever had."

They walked into their apartment and their bedroom. He took her hands in his and leaned in kissing her. Slowly he lifted the dress off her. Getting on his knees he kissed her growing belly. In two more months this little guy would be joining them. She looked down at him with love in her eyes and smiled. They slowly removed their clothes and cuddled together in the bed. She is laying in his arms slowly caressing her and she is gently caressing his chest and kissing him. Their lovemaking that night was slow and tender, no urgency because they knew that they had the rest of their lives together. Falling asleep in their arms her dream was of them dancing to the music of Cole Porter. She heard the lyrics to the song, **"So in Love'.**

 _They were in a room with white twinkle lights and she was wearing a long white dress. Marty was holding her in his arms and they were dancing to this song. She heard the singer from the band sing the words, "_

 _ **The night when you first were there**_

 _ **In love with my joy delirious**_

 _ **When I knew that you could care**_

 _ **So taunt me, and hurt me**_

 _ **Deceive me, desert me**_

 _ **I'm yours, till I die...**_

 _As the singer sang these words she sang along with them._

 _ **So in love... So in love...**_

 _ **So in love with you, my love... am I...***_

 _As the song repeated she looked around the room. Standing in a circle around them in a fog she saw her mother dressed in a long dress that was vintage 1930. It was a shimmering blue sequin dress and she had on long white gloves. Next to her stood her grandfather in a tux and beside him was Ace. He had a smile on his face. He seemed happy. As they continued to move around the dance floor the faces changed in the fog. She saw Jess wearing a white tuxedo standing there raising a glass of champagne to her and Marty, and smiling beside him, stood Logan and Finn. They both were smiling and raising their glasses in a toast to them. She turned to look into Marty's face and he smiled down at her. The music ended, and everyone clapped, and she saw her father and Luke coming towards her._

" _Congratulations Rory and Marty," they told them._

 _Then Marty looked at her and said, "I love you Mrs. Knight."_

A buzzing was going off and she slowly woke up. She rolled over and looked at the man lying beside her who was reaching for his phone. He turned off his alarm and smiled at her.

"Good Morning," he told her pulling her into his arms.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

"Yes, Marty I had a dream… we were dancing to the song "So in Love" from Kiss Me Kate the Broadway musical and movie and it was our wedding day…" she continued to tell him about her dream. She then kissed him and said, "Let's call Sookie and plan our wedding."

 **A/N**

 **Many of the music written by Cole Porter became popular when the singers of the 40s 50s and 60s rerecorded them. It would be natural for Rory to listen to her grandfather's collection of this music. These are the songs I thought would fit this part of the story. You can find these songs on Google or Amazon Ella Fitzgerald sing Cole Porter.**

" **De Lovely" Cole Porter, "So in Love" Cole Porter. 'The Man I Love" Cole Porter.**


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77**

The next morning Rory called Sookie and planned to meet with her, Luke, and Michel at the Inn at one pm. When they got to the Inn, Sookie and Michel took out the calendar to check for dates. Since Rory and Marty didn't want a large wedding, they decided to hold it at the Annex. The Inn was full of guests in December, but the Annex had some free dates available and it also had a beautiful large room where they could hold the reception. A close friend of Colin's was a judge, and Colin asked him that morning if he would officiate at the wedding. So now they just needed a date. Looking through the calendar they had Friday December 30 open and the month of January.

Looking at Marty, Rory asked him, "What do you think?"

"I think that day would be perfect," he said taking her hand in his and kissed it.

Smiling at Michel, Sookie and Luke she said, "Let's plan my wedding. A December 30th Wedding it is."

Everything fell together perfectly. The upcoming weeks were a whirlwind of activities. Finally, the day arrived. She was standing outside of the double doors that would lead them to the Wedding Arch that Luke had made for her. Michel had his staff help decorate the room and arch. Kirk and Lulu came to help. Curtains of white and gold voile and twinkling lights surrounded the room which reflected off the white beaded crystal snowflakes that were suspended from the ceiling. Babette and Miss Patti arranged for a group of women to meet at Miss Patti's studio to make the beaded crystal snowflakes when Babette overheard Luke and Sookie talking at the diner about the wedding.

The arch was decorated with white silk roses and evergreens with red berries. The guests were seated in a semicircle around the arch. The music started, Lane arranged for Hep Allen to play at the reception and for Morty, Babette's husband to play the piano along with Brian.

As the guests were being seated Morey began to play the song, **"Can't Stop Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley** while Miss Patti sang it. Marty walked out followed by his brother Mitchell, Colin, and Finn. The men all wore three-piece black suits, Marty's vest was ivory to match her gown. Mitchell, Colin, and Finn all wore a cranberry vest, and cranberry bow tie to compliment the bridesmaid's gowns.

The room was filled with the familiar faces of their friends from work, Stars Hollow, Hartford and New York City. Logan sat in the second row beside Bobbi. They had started dating right after the LBD event. It wasn't his Ace, but he was feeling content now that he was in control of his life. Seated in the same row were Liam, Cindy, Dan, Brie, Christopher Walters, his wife and Charlie Shapiro with his wife from CBS. Sitting in front of Logan was Ace's parents, Emily and her escort, Jack, and Francine. Marty's parents and relatives sat in the same row that Christopher and Luke would sit in. Michel stood in the back with a headset on, like the wedding planner that he now put on his resume. Just before the doors opened Sookie came back and hugged and kissed Rory.

"Hon, I know that your mom is here watching over you today. She made me promise to be with you on this day and plan the perfect wedding for you."

What Rory didn't know was that Lorelai had recorded her voice singing **"You Never Walk Alone" by Richard Rodgers.** Sookie had played it for Marty and they decided to have it play as she walked down the aisle.

The doors open, and Marty looked out towards the door. The music started with Gil, Zach, Brian and Lane, playing **"Marry Me"** by Train **.**

Zac began to sing the words

" _ **Forever can never be long enough for me**_

 _ **Feel like I've had long enough with you**_

 _ **Forget the world now we won't let them see**_

Marty's parents walked down the aisle standing in front of their seats in the front row on the right

 _ **But there's one thing left to do**_

 _ **Now that the weight has lifted**_

 _ **Love has surely shifted my way**_

Next followed Gigi as the Junior Bridesmaid in a SORELLA VITA cranberry A-Line Princess Jewel Neck Knee Length Organza Taffeta dress. She wore her blonde hair in a side ponytail that Anthony and his staff did with curls and on her head was placed a wreath of burgundy sweetheart roses with baby breaths. She carried a bouquet of white baby's breath with one single burgundy rose.

As Zac Continued to sing:

 _ **Marry me**_

 _ **Today and every day**_

 _ **Marry me**_

Gabrielle walked next. She wore a cocktail-length dress with a chiffon skirt, and an illusion-sweetheart neckline. Liam took one look at her and his heart stopped. She was breathtaking. She had her hair in a French braid with baby breaths and a clip with the burgundy rose in it. She carried a larger bouquet of white baby breaths and cranberry roses.

 _ **If I ever get the nerve to say**_

 _ **Hello in this cafe**_

 _ **Say you will**_

 _ **Mm-hmm**_

 _ **Say you will**_

 _ **Mm-hmm*" Marry Me by Train**_

Next came Stephanie. She also wore a chiffon cocktail length dress in burgundy. The dress featured with a classic pleated V-neck and skinny double straps. The dress was empire waist which accented her pregnant belly. Steph's blonde hair was pulled back in a low bun with tendrils around her face. She wore the same hair accessory in her hair that Amanda did and carried identical bouquets. Finn nudged Colin when he saw her walk down the aisle, she did look beautiful.

Next came Jess. Emily was shocked when she heard that Rory did not have a maid of honor or a matron of honor but a man of honor. He had trimmed his hair, beard and mustache for the occasion and looked handsome in his three-piece black suit, white shirt with a cranberry bowtie and cranberry vest.

The officiant asked everyone to stand and Morty and Miss Patti went back to the piano. The music started, and the doors opened.

There stood Rory with both Christopher and Luke. She was stunning. Being eight months pregnant made it tricky to find the perfect gown but with the help of Gabrielle and Stephanie they found it. It was an Ivory Silk & Eyelash Lace Wedding Dress with a silk skirt that drapes lavishly over her curves then down to a dramatic floor-sweeping finish. It had a lace bodice with eyelash edging and a keyhole at the back. The gown had a jeweled belt which defined the empire waist. She wore her grandmother's Tiara on her head.

Logan sitting at the end of the aisle stood up and turned to look out at the open door. There she stood with the sunlight behind her. She looked stunning, a vision of beauty. He recalled the first time he saw her in that tiara. His first love, as his eyes fill with tears he regrets his mistakes and hopes now that she will be in his life, as a friend, and she will be happy with her life with Marty.

Christopher and Luke wore black suits and white shirts but chose the cranberry tie instead of the three-piece suit that the other men wore.

"Kiddo are you ready?" Chris asked her.

"I think so," as she turned to look at Luke she thought she heard her mother's voice.

Morty and Miss Patty had set up the recorder and Lorelai's voice came over the speaker.

" _ **When you walk through a storm**_

 _ **Hold your head up high**_

 _ **And don't be afraid of the dark**_

"Luke that's mom, but it can't be." Rory stood frozen.

"Yes, it is, and she recorded it for you. She made Sookie and I promise to play it on your wedding day. She wanted you to know that she is here with you. You can do this," Luke told her, and he gently leaned over and kissed her cheek before he adjusted the veil around her face.

Squeezing her arm with his hand, the three of them began to walk down the aisle towards Marty. Even with the tears streaming from her eyes she could see Marty. He smiled at her as the song continued.

 _ **At the end of a storm**_

 _ **There's a golden sky**_

 _ **And the sweet silver song of a lark**_

 _ **Walk on through the wind**_

 _ **Walk on through the rain**_

 _ **Though your dreams be tossed and blown**_

 _ **Walk on, walk on**_

 _ **With hope in your heart**_

 _ **And you'll never walk alone**_

 _ **You'll never walk alone" * Richard Rodgers**_

She got to the arch and Marty stepped down and taking her hands in his he said, "You will never walk alone, Rory. I will always be by your side."

Both Luke and Christopher kissed Rory and then shook hands with Marty. As she turned to look at Marty she swore she saw Ace's image in a haze of her tears.

She stood there looking over Marty's shoulder and she heard his voice _ **, "Mon Amour**_ _ **Tu ne sera jamais seul. Je serai dans les yeux de notre fils. Marry Martin,**_ _ **Soyez heureux**_ _._ _ **Je t'aime pour toujours. (My Love, You will never be alone. I will be in the eyes of our son. Marry Martin. Be Happy, I will love you forever.) ''**_

"Rory are you all right?" Marty asked her fearing that she was going to run away.

She smiled up at him and said, "Yes. Everything is perfect."

She took his hand in hers and the two of them walked under the arch. The guest then stood in a semi-circle around them. There was not a dry eye in the crowd. Bobbi took Logan's hand and squeezed it. Emily was crying, and Jack had to hand her his handkerchief.

The Officiant cleared his throat, "Welcomed everyone to the wedding of Lorelai Leigh Gilmore Hayden and Martin Knight. **"** **Marriage is a commitment to life, to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal; a joining that is promised for a lifetime. Martin and Lorelai chose to have their ceremony in a circle. You are all a part of this circle. Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.**

 **Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger; even anger is felt more strongly and passes away more quickly. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime to fulfill.** **"**

Martin and Lorelai have decided to recite their vows.

"Lorelai would you like to go first?"

She nodded and then looked out to the guests and spotted Logan. She shyly smiled at him and then looked back at Marty.

 **She began "** **this is an Excerpt from The Bridge Across Forever**

 **(Richard Bach)**

"A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who were pretending to be.

Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise.

Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life. '

Marty our lives were linked from the moment you found yourself asleep in front of my dorm room door. Though it took us a long time to get here, you are my soulmate, my lover, my best friend."

When she finished, Marty bent down and kissed her, and the officiant cleared his throat. Everyone began to laugh.

"Martin, "

Marty took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes as he recites this poem,

" _ **I Love You**_ _by Larry S. Chengges_

 _ **I love you**_

 _ **Not only for what you are,**_

 _ **But for what I am**_

 _ **When I am with you.**_

 _ **I love you,**_

 _ **Not only for what**_

 _ **You have made of yourself,**_

 _ **But for what**_

 _ **You are making of me.**_

 _ **I love you**_

 _ **For the part of me**_

 _ **That you bring out;**_

 _ **I love you**_

 _ **For putting your hand**_

 _ **Into my heaped-up heart**_

 _ **And passing over**_

 _ **All the foolish, weak things**_

 _ **That you can't help**_

 _ **Dimly seeing there,**_

 _ **And for drawing out**_

 _ **Into the light**_

 _ **All the beautiful belongings**_

 _ **That no one else had looked**_

 _ **Quite far enough to find.**_

 _ **I love you**_

 _ **Because you have done**_

 _ **More than any creed**_

 _ **Could have done**_

 _ **To make me good.**_

 _ **And more than any fate**_

 _ **Could have done**_

 _ **To make me happy.**_

 _ **You have done it**_

 _ **Without a touch**_

 _ **Without a word,**_

 _ **Without a sign.**_

 _ **You have done it**_

 _ **By being yourself,**_

 _ **Perhaps that is what**_

 _ **Being a friend means,**_

 _ **After All."**_

"Rory, I fell in love with you the moment you handed me your robe on that fateful morning our freshman year at Yale. You were my friend first. I lost you for a while, but fate brought us back together, this time older, wiser, and stronger. You once asked me if I believed in Fate, and the answer is I do, because Fate and the stars brought me back to you. I love you."

You could hear sniffling in the crowd and Finn wiped a tear from his cheek. He was happy that these two were together, even though there was a small part that wished it was him with her. However, his life had recently changed, and he looked out at the guest and winked at Juliet who smiled and blew him a kiss. Who would have thought that fate would have brought them together? Maybe there will be a happy ending for him after all.

Mitchell takes the two rings out of his pocket and hands them to the judge.

The judge places the two rings on the book he is holding and looking first at Rory and Marty and then out to their guest the judge says:

"The wedding ring is a circle, it has no beginning and no end

and therefore, it is a symbol of eternity.

The wedding ring is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love.

These rings contain in their precious metal, that which is more precious, that which is priceless: love and hope and a promise for the future.

Martin, please place this ring on Lorelai's finger, and repeat after me:

Lorelai"

"Rory," Marty repeats. The judge looks at Marty and raises his eyebrows, and Jess starts to snicker behind Rory.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love and commitment"

Then Marty repeats: "I give you this ring as a symbol of our love and commitment."

He places on her finger a simple platinum band with diamonds and knife edge detail, engraved inside the band, he had their initials and the wedding date.

"Rory, in accepting this ring, do you take Martin to be your husband?"

Rory responds, "I do."

"Lorelai or Rory is it?" the judge asks her.

"Rory," she smiles and answers the judge. She squeezes Marty's hand and he smiles down at her.

"Then Rory, please place this ring on Martin's finger, and repeat after me:

Martin"

"Marty"

"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love and commitment."

Rory repeats, "I give you this ring as a symbol of our love and commitment."

"Martin in accepting this ring, do you take Rory to be your wife?"

"I do"

"Then by the power vested in me by the State of Connecticut, I now pronounce you man and wife."

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I be the first to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Martin Knight.

Marty grabbed Rory and the two of them embraced in a passionate kiss. She suddenly felt a kick and put Marty's hand on her belly. The two of them began to laugh and turned to their guests. Everyone was clapping.

As they walked down the aisle out the door to where the reception line was, Zac began to sing the song **"Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, David Hodges.**

" _ **...**_ **And all along I believed I would find you**

 **Time has brought your heart to me**

 **I have loved you for a thousand years**

 **I'll love you for a thousand more**

 **One step closer**

 **One step closer**

 **I have died every day waiting for you**

 **Darling don't be afraid I have loved you**

 **For a thousand years**

 **I'll love you for a thousand more**

 **And all along I believed I would find you**

 **Time has brought your heart to me**

 **I have loved you for a thousand years**

 **I'll love you for a thousand more."**

As they walked down the aisle, Logan looked at her. He smiled at her and whispered these words to her, "I Love You Rory."

She smiled at him and whispered back, "Je t'aime mon ami **,** (I love You my friend)

 **A/N Songs in this chapter are: I Can't Stop Falling In Love With You by Elvis Presley; Marry Me by Train; You'll Never Walk Alone by Richard Rodgers; and Thousand Years by Christina Perri and David Hodges. The poems and wedding ceremony I found online at The KNOT.**


	78. Chapter 78

**A/N Only two chapters left after this one. The mystery is being solved. I hope you are enjoying my story.**

 **Chapter 78**

Their wedding reception was magical just like their wedding. Michel and Sookie gave them a gift of a week stay at the Woodstock Village Inn, in Woodstock Vermont. They spent their wedding night in one of the rooms in the Annex that Michel had arranged and decorated special for Rory and Marty. After a large breakfast that Sookie prepared for them, Marty and Rory said goodbye to everyone. Rory hugged both Adélaide and Nicolai goodbye and promised to send them messages and phone calls. Rory also will begin to have weekly doctor visits when they return from their honeymoon, and Adélaide promised that she and Nick would come up the third week of January to be there to help them. Nick and Adélaide also became good friends with Marty's parents Leigh and Marcus. Emily and Jack were there also to say goodbye to them and reminded them to stop by the house when they returned from their trip. By one pm, they were in their car and heading on the three-hour drive to Woodstock for a relaxing honeymoon and babymoon.

They arrived at the Inn in Woodstock Vermont. The Inn was a two-storied home painted light purple with off-white trim. It had stairs that went to a balcony to both the second and third floor. The grounds, even though it was winter were festively decorated. There was a fence that was painted similar color to the Inn and decorated with pine boughs and twinkle lights. A beautiful pine wreath was on the door and electric candles were in each window. As they walked into the lobby they noticed a warm inviting fire going in the marble fireplace with old wingback chairs facing it and a settee giving the room an inviting warm feeling. A few guests were sitting there sipping their glasses of wine and reading either their kindles, or newspapers. The sitting room was filled with antique Victorian furniture upholstered in deep red brocade and gold and the window treatments were a deep red with a gold color valance with tassels. An oriental rug covered the wooden floor and Tiffany lamps and tall fern plants graced the room. The dining room area had a beautiful fireplace with a mirror above the mantel and the tables were set up for two with red and gold table cloths. Their room was a suite on the second floor. It had two rooms, a sitting room with a large marble gas fireplace flanked by two Victorian chairs, a private bathroom had a two-person Japanese inspired whirlpool soaking tub, and a separate two-headed shower. The separate bedroom, had a four-poster king size bed with a beautiful white comforter decorated with gold throw pillows.

Looking around the room Marty took his wife in his arms and said, "Mrs. Knight, what do you think. Are you ready for a nap?"

Rory laughed and said, "How about you feed us first then we can have a nap."

They quickly unpacked their suitcases and went downstairs to the dining room where they were able to order a delicious chicken pot pie, salad and a warm chocolate cake for dessert.

Logan was in his new apartment unpacking his items. Bobbie had come over to help him. She was cleaning out the kitchen cupboards while he was in the bedroom putting his clothes away. He decided to order a new mattress for the bed, now that he knew who owned the apartment before him, the thought of Rory sleeping in this bed with Ace bothered him.

The phone in the apartment rang, it was the doorman telling them that the delivery for the new mattress had arrived. Bobbie answered the phone and gave permission to the doorman to send them up. She waited by the door and when she saw them come down the hall she let them in. They first had to remove the other mattress. As they removed that mattress and box spring, an envelope slipped out and fell to the ground. Logan was in the room directing the move and noticed the paper on the floor. He picked up the envelope and folded it. He slipped it into his pocket to look at it later.

The delivery people stayed for an hour setting up the new bed and removing the old mattress and box spring.

Logan went into the other room and began to unpack his items, books, photographs, and items that he collected when he was in London. Bobbie had made the bed for him and came out into the large living room area and was looking at him as he was taking books out of the boxes and putting his books on the floor to ceiling bookshelf. She sat down beside him and picked up the dog-eared copy of the Subsect. She looked at the book paying attention to the author's name and the title. She opened the book and saw the copyright date, 2005 and looked at the dedication page…To Book Tease, my inspiration from Dodger.

"J Mariano, isn't that Rory's friend?"

He took the book from her and put it on the bookshelf. "Yes, it is. Her best friend, why?"

"Oh, I was wondering what the dedication meant…"

"Something he used to call her...they have been friends since they were children."

"Oh," she put her hand on his back and slowly began to rub it.

"Logan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, there is just so much to deal with, tomorrow I have to go to the HPG office early. You won't mind if I take you home now? I have to make some business calls."

"No, it's okay, I can call for an Uber." She picked up her phone and dialed the number for an Uber.

"Sorry about this, I would have you stay but I have too much to do and I won't be good company."

"No, I understand," and they kissed each other. Bobbie gathered her coat and went to the door.

"Call me tomorrow?" he asked her.

"Yes, of course and you will be at the office around nine for the first meeting. Correct?"

"Yes, I will, when will you get there."

"Probably not until one or later. I will call you. I have a meeting with my Uncle tomorrow. We are reviewing our plans for HPG."

He kissed her goodbye again and she left to meet the Uber driver at the front of his building. Logan went into his bedroom and began to get ready to take a shower. As he removed his shirt and began to empty the pockets of his pants, he pulled out the envelope. Sitting on his bed he opened it up. It was a letter addressed to Ace.

 _I have collected new information on who the identity of the child's father is. Call me. S. Spencer._

It was dated January 20, 2016 and sent from Paris, France. Ace must have hired his own P. I. and was looking into the allegations. He decided that he had to contact Colin and give him this information.

The next morning, Logan arrived at the HPG office in Manhattan at seven thirty am. He had a morning meeting with his uncle at eight thirty. He was very concerned about the lost revenue that HPG had acquired since his father's involvement with the Fontanes. But the letter that he found that was sitting on his desk bothered him. He wasn't sure if Colin was in his office yet, but he went to the fax machine and faxed a copy of this letter to him. He then picked up the phone to call Finn, he looked at the clock and decided to end the call. It was too early in the morning to call Finn, and not wanting to listen to a grumbling Finn, he called Liam instead.

Logan knew that Liam was an early riser and that he jogged every morning on the Esplanade. It was cold this morning but that never stopped him.

Logan hit the speed dial number for Liam and waited. The phone rang four times before he answered it. He was about to hang up when he heard Liam's voice.

"Hi Logan, what's the problem?"

Liam turned around and watched as Gabby emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Her body and smile had a certain glow about her and she had wrapped her wet hair in a towel. She walked past him, and Liam pulled her towards him kissing her on the lips.

"Liam, I need someone to talk to and I was wondering if you were heading right to Queens or if you have time to swing by HPG? I found a letter yesterday when I was unpacking. It was from a P. I. that Ace must have hired."

Liam watched as Gabby returned to the bathroom and he went and shut the door so that the dryer wouldn't interrupt him.

"Hold on Logan, I just got out of the shower, let me get something to put on and we can talk."

Liam took the phone and put it upside down on the nightstand and quickly slipped on a pair of sweatpants. He picked up his phone and walked over to the room he was using as an office. He put his earbuds on so that he could have a private conversation.

"Sorry, I went into my office… what did you say you found?"

"A letter, saying that he collected evidence of who the child's father was."

"Logan this might be important, and it might not but you need to call Colin and that agent Dugrey."

"Yes, I know...I sent a fax with a copy of the letter to Colin's office this morning. I don't have Dugrey's number. Do you know who would?"

"Either Colin, Marty or maybe Jess?

Liam looked up when he saw Gabby standing in the doorway of his office looking professional in a gray pencil skirt, and fuchsia blouse. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a French braid. She was holding a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. He nodded, and she walked towards him with it.

"Listen Logan I have to go, call me and let me know where to meet you."

Liam listened to Logan on the phone and ended his call as he pulled Gabby onto his lap. He kissed her neck and slowly began to untuck her blouse so that he was able to rub his hand over her taut stomach.

"Hold on, I have to go to the office and so do you. We will save this for later."

She kissed him and got up from his lap. She smiled as she looked down and saw his arousal through his sweatpants. He stood up and pulled her close to him grinding himself against her. Smiling she slipped her hand through the waistband of his pants and gently stroked him. He hissed, and she whispered.

"Sorry but I think you need a cold shower and I have to go." She gently squeezed him. She was amazed at his stamina and desire for her. They had awoken this morning and taken their lovemaking into the shower. It was now thirty minutes later, and he was still ready to go.

She pulled her hand out and he whispered in her ear…" Tease, we will take this up later."

She raised her eyebrow up at him and smirked. "Yes, I promise you we will."

He patted her bottom as she walked into the kitchen. He sat and drank his coffee and turned on his computer checking his calendar. He had a nine o'clock appointment and it was now eight am. He called his secretary and had her move the appointment to tomorrow. He quickly sent Logan a text letting him know that he would stay in Manhattan today. He asked him to let him know what time the meeting is set up with Colin.

He quickly stood up and went and got dressed in the bedroom. Gabby returned and put on her diamond stud earrings that he gave her for Christmas. He smiled at her as he straightened his tie. He thought maybe he might buy her something to match that at Valentine's day.

They quickly left their apartment and got into the town car. He had them drop her off at the clinic where she worked. His secretary called and confirmed that his calendar was now clear for today. He thanked her and then sent a text to Doyle letting him know that he might be in later this afternoon.

Sitting in the car he called Logan back.

"Huntzberger," Logan answered the phone.

"I cleared my schedule today. I am heading over to HPG. Have you heard from Colin yet?"

"I just got off the phone with Colin. He got the fax. He is calling Finn to see if he can figure out who this S. Spencer is. Do you think there might be something in the filing cabinet or the computer?"

"That's a good question. Maybe we can get this figured out before Rory and Marty return from their honeymoon."

Liam hung up the phone and opened his messages and sent Gabby a message.

 _Gabby - Something came up and I am staying in the city. I will be home early tonight. I will stop at the store and pick up a few things. I am thinking some whipped cream and strawberries for dessert. Liam_

A few minutes later his phone dinged, _"_ _smiley face,_ _a heart and_ _red lips emoji was her reply."_

Logan hung up and then went online to check his emails. He hadn't heard from his sister in weeks and wondered how she was doing. He sent her a quick email, he knew he would need to tell her what he found out about the company.

Colin called Logan back. "Logan, I contacted Finn. When do you want to meet and where?"

"I have a question for you Colin. You have Ace's computer and a filing cabinet correct?"

"Yes, why?"

"Do you think there might be something in there about a Spencer or S. Spencer?"

"You know now that you mention it there was a file that we thought looked like notes, it was labeled SS. "

"Then I think we should meet at your office. When is a good time for you? Liam is on his way now to HPG."

"I will call Jess since he was the one interpreting the notes in case it is written in French. Finn is also on his way he was calling Tristan as we speak."

"How soon?"

"Will eleven o'clock work?" Colin asked him.

"Perfect, Liam and I will be there at eleven."

Marty and Rory were enjoying their Honey/ Babymoon at the Inn in Woodstock Vt.

They had spent the afternoon at Simon Pearce watching them make pottery and glassware then having a romantic dinner of New York Sirloin and Pork Osso Buco in the restaurant that overlooked the waterfall. The snow was falling outside and as Rory watched it she noticed how it sparkled like diamonds on the water. Grabbing her husband's hand, she said, "Look, it's magical. Thank you, Marty, for making my dreams come true."

A live band was playing in the room where there was a dance floor. The music began, and the singers began to sing "From This Moment" the song she sang to him a few days ago. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. They danced and sang along with the singers to each other. They continued to dance to the other love songs that the musicians played. Leaning her head on his shoulder he whispered in her ear, "Rory, tonight is such a magical night and I promise you a lifetime of magic."

Looking up at him she said, "I know, let's go back to our room."

They left the restaurant, gathering the packages of pottery and glassware that they had purchased and returned to their room. When they returned to their room, Rory went and started the water in the large whirlpool tub so that they could relax in there together. Marty pulled out his phone that he had turned off to check his messages. He noticed he missed three calls from Colin. He turned on the gas fireplace. He walked to the bathroom where Rory was adjusting the faucet and adding bubbles to the water. She was beautiful, her body swollen with the baby and yet she glowed.

"Hey, Princess. I am going to call Colin back. I missed three calls from him, so it must be important. Go ahead and climb in and I will be there shortly." She walked over to him and opened her robe that she was wearing said, "Hurry back."

He kissed her deeply and whispered, "I will make this call quick."

He quickly turned and went into the adjoining bedroom. He sat at the antique desk and hit Colin's number for his personal cell phone. Colin answered after three rings. It was only seven o'clock, but it sounded like Colin wasn't alone.

"Hey what's going on? I am sorry we made a no phone rule for the day today."

Colin laughed, "I understand, and I wouldn't have called unless it was important."

"So, what's so important?"

"We found out today the connection between Mitchum and Ace. We were able to go onto the computer and into the filing cabinet. I called to get Rory's permission to turn this information that is in the filing cabinet to Tristan and the FBI."

"How bad is it?"

"Pretty damaging to Mitchum. He was the one behind the blackmail."

"Wow, how's Logan doing?"

"He's holding it together, I am sure he will want to talk to her about it when she gets back. He didn't want me to call you, but Tristan insisted. The sooner they have this evidence the faster they will be able to press charges."

"Colin, I know I don't have to ask, but please make copies of everything before you release it"

"I have already done that, they will get the copies and we will keep the originals. Tristan agreed to that."

Marty walked into the bathroom and smiled as he looked at his beautiful wife relaxing in the whirlpool tub. Her hair was floating around her shoulders. He handed her a towel and said, "Babe, Colin needs to ask you a question."

She dried her hands and took his phone leaning over the tub so that she wouldn't drop it in the water. She listened to Colin on the phone as she watched her handsome husband undress.

"Colin, I trust you and Tristan. Do what you need to do. Yes, we will talk to you when we get back."

She smiled and handed her husband back his phone and he set it on the stand in the bathroom and then joined his wife in the tub.

Earlier that day, Finn, Tristan, Liam, Logan, Colin and Jess met in the conference room at McCrae and Knight Law Office. Finn had contacted S. Spencer; his own private eye knew him and gave him his number. After talking to him, Mr. Spencer agreed to join them and brought them the information he had gathered for Ace.

Ace never did receive this file folder, he died before he could receive it. However, when he met with Honor Huntzberger and Shira that day in Nice, he had the proof that he was not the father of the child. He had just handed them a copy of the DNA results proving the parentage of the father. They were sitting there in shock when the van came out of nowhere and Ace made the split-second decision to push Shira and Honor out of the way and was killed.

The folder had photographs of Odette having an intimate relationship with Mitchum Huntzberger. They also were time stamped with the date and time when it was taken. The DNA proof that Logan had requested, proved that he was not the father but someone who was related to him was the father. When Logan saw this, he became so angry that Finn had to take him back to HPG to calm him down.

Upon returning to HPG Logan stormed into this father's office.

"There has to be something here that my father was hiding," Logan said angrily to Finn.

Logan began to look around his father's office. Finn began to help him when he saw a book on Mitchum's bookshelf titled **The Silent Wife.**

Picking it up he looked at it and said, "Mate, this is a strange book for your father to be reading,"

"What are you talking about Finn?"

" **The Silent Wife**."

Showing him the book, Finn began to flip through it and an envelope fell out.

He picked it up and read it. "Bloody Oath, Logan. Look at this."

Logan picked up the paper and began to read it.

 _ **How long do you think your wife will keep your secret? Get the money you owe us, or not only will you be dead but all the members of your family.**_

 _ **Liza Morgan.**_

"Come on Finn, I think we have the missing link of who was behind the blackmail."

Logan and Finn quickly left his father's office and returned to the conference room at the law office of McCrae and Knight.

"Tristan, I think we found the mastermind behind the blackmailing."

Tristan looked at the letter and smiled. "I will bring this back to headquarters and search for her, Colin go and make a copy of this for your files."

Just then Liam and Jess yelled out, with Spencer's help they were able to open the encrypted file on Ace's computer. All the letter's that he received from both Mitchum, and Liza was there. Along with another video of a time when Liza met him at a party in France. Liza was Odette's half-sister and with her mother's help she introduced Mitchum to Odette when at a fundraiser before she had ever met Ace.

As they gathered all the information the story was now falling into place. Logan had Tristan call Interpol to make an appointment so that he could meet with his father in the next few days. A warrant for the arrest of Liza Morgan, his sister and his mother was issued. Now the only mystery remaining was the child.


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter 79**

Logan met his uncle at the private airport in Hartford; the two of them got on the plane for London later that afternoon. On the flight he told his uncle everything that they had figured out along with showing him the paper trail. His Uncle Wes just shook his head, it seems that his older brother's selfishness had finally caught up with him. Logan made sure that although his father had destroyed his own life, he would not destroy the lives of his family along with all the employees that worked for HPG.

Logan had left Bobbi a voicemail telling him that he had to return to London. Liam oversaw the ACE news company for now and that she was to report to him. He was unsure how long he would be in London, but he would call her later when he landed. Sitting on the airplane with his headphones on, Logan closed his eyes and fell asleep. He began to dream about his life in college with Rory. He remembered the day he was so excited to bring his Ace home to meet his parents and what a horrible reception he got. He remembered the times that they were so happy together and then their fights. They were young, but she had brought him so much happiness back then. A type of happiness that he has not yet been able to experience again.

He opened his eyes and looked down at his phone and out of the window. It was 11:25 pm and they were making their descent. He could see the lights of the city of London and could hear the engine change as they began to descend to the private airport. His uncle smiled over at him and said, "Logan, go back to your flat and get some sleep. I have planned for a car to pick us up. We will have a meeting with the lawyers at HPG at 10:00 am. Soon this mess will be behind us."

On January 3, Marty and Rory were returning from their honeymoon. It was wonderful, but Rory was feeling more and more uncomfortable every day. She had a doctor's appointment on Thursday that week. She hadn't told Marty, but she was beginning to have some back pains. Their honeymoon was wonderful, and Marty had planned for them to have a couple's massage, making sure her's was a prenatal massage. She felt relaxed when they arrived home.

They arrived back at their apartment at two pm. Rory was sitting with her feet propped up watching television when Gabby called telling her that she and Liam were bringing dinner over for the two of them. Gabby was anxious to see them both and Liam was anxious to talk to Marty about what they found out today.

Marty and Rory had just finished setting the table with the new pottery and glassware that they had purchased on their honeymoon. It was a beautiful marble indigo pottery dinnerware and she had a blue tablecloth on the table. Since they were not sure what type of food that Gabby was bringing, she left a serving platter out on the counter and a serving bowl. When the apartment buzzer went off she answered the door, Gabby was excited to see her giving her a big hug when she entered their apartment.

" Wow, Rory, are you sure you aren't due sooner than the end of the month?" her sister in law asked her.

Liam entered the apartment carrying the take-out bags filled with food from Carmine's, one of their favorite restaurant. Gabby and Marty took the food and Liam gave Rory a big hug.

"You two look great. I guess this honeymoon was just what you both needed, or is it married life?" he asked them with a smile on his face.

"It's a little bit of both."

Marty shook Liam's hand and took their coats. They removed their shoes and placed them on the mat by the door. They all walked into the small kitchen area where they sat at the granite bar. Marty poured himself, Liam and Gabby a glass of Cabernet and gave Rory her sparkling grape juice. Gabby and Rory started to open the containers.

"Oh, this smells so delicious. Chicken and Veal Parmigiana with Angel Hair Pasta. My two favorite foods. So, what are you three going to eat?" Ror told them jokingly.

Gabby took out the garlic bread and asked Marty to get a bread basket to put it in. Then she took Carmine's salad and put it in the beautiful salad bowl they bought.

"These dishes are beautiful. Are they new?" Gabby asked as she placed the food in the serving dishes and brought them to the table.

"Yes, You two will have to go to the Village Inn at Woodstock in Vermont. There is this beautiful restaurant at a mill on the waterfalls, it's called Simon Pearce and they make this beautiful pottery and glassware," Rory told Gabby.

They sat down and began eating dinner telling them about their honeymoon and then Gabby took out the Tiramisu that she bought for dessert. Marty put the tea water in the kettle to boil and made coffee for the three of them. While they waited for the coffee and tea, Gabby and Rory went into the kitchen to rinse the dishes and place them in the dishwasher. Liam and Marty went into his office where he had some brandy, Liam sat down on the small leather couch and Marty sat at his desk.

"A lot happened while you were gone," Liam states as he started the conversation.

Marty looked at him in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"Logan found an envelope between the mattress and the box spring with a name Spencer. Once we found the P.I. Spencer we were able to piece this all together."

"Logan found it?"

"Yes, he also found more in his father's office, you see Mitchum was very involved. In fact, Logan is in England right now meeting with his father."

At ten am, Logan met his uncle in the HPG conference room where his Uncle Wes had set up the meeting between Logan, himself, the lawyers, and an existing CFO of the company. They sat there for three hours and went through everything. Logan was given complete control of the HPG corporation. He was now the CEO for this large company. They found the hidden accounts that his father had in a safe in his private office. There was a ledger with a list of the money that he was taking from the company and where it was going. They also found the account numbers of the banks in the Caymans that the Interpol was looking for. As they went through all these documents they found the smoking gun, the paperwork from the lab that did the DNA of the child. Taking that information, Logan left at three in the afternoon to the prison where his father was incarcerated. It was called the North Sea Camp. The prison was what they considered as an open prison but Mitchum would not be staying here long since he was a citizen of the US.

Logan's driver stopped in front of the North Sea Camp, it was hundreds of acres of land that the prisoners worked at producing the vegetables and meats to other prisons in England. Logan chuckled when he was told that his father had been working in the field in the gardens. Logan had never seen his father get his hands dirty and would always pay for other people to do work around the house and outdoors.

Logan met his father in a conference room. He was wearing a denim blue work shirt, jeans that were baggy on him and sneakers.

"How the mighty has fallen," Logan said as he took out his cellphone and took a picture of his father.

"Logan what do you want."

"Answers dad."

"Answers to what?"

"Everything, let's start at the beginning and before you say anything, there is a warrant out for Honor and mom's arrest, so you better come clean." 

Sitting at a table across from Logan he folded his hands together and looked down at them.

"The beginning Dad…. with Odette and her family."

Mitchum began to tell him how he got involved with them. How he and Odette had met at a society party and began their affair. How Odette's brother caught them and decided to use this as blackmail. Mitchum her brother and Odette decided to arrange for the engagement between Logan and Odette. Mitchum never anticipated that Logan would not sleep with her. He never realized how much Logan was in love with Rory. Even though Odette slept with other people, she and Mitchum never used protection. When she became pregnant and Logan provided the DNA that showed that the child was not his, but a relative of his, they knew the whole affair would be exposed. The Fontanes was in deep with the Russian Mafia and began to ask for money from Mitchum. Panicking Mitchum suggested to go after Acelot Gerrard, the young journalist who was very rich and his father was an American Ambassador from France. They never expected the FBI and Interpol to be alerted to the money laundering that the Fantones were involved in. When Mitchum's assets were frozen HPG became in jeopardy and Mitchum panicked. He began to blackmail Acelot. Then entered Liza Morgan. When her sister died in childbirth the Fantones were afraid that the money would stop. Liza, Odette's half-sister who had been raised in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, by her maternal grandmother, was called by her mother to join the Huntzberger company and continue to pressure them for money. What Liza never told Mitchum was that the child died two days later due to a congenital heart condition. With her stepfather, and stepbrother in jail they no longer had access to their fortune. It was her mother, Neomi, who came up with the plan to blackmail the Huntzbergers.

Logan had recorded the whole conversation and had his father sign a statement that what was on the recording was the complete truth. He walked out of the building and hung his head. Getting into the car that had waited for him he called Tristan.

"I have everything you need to extradite him to the US. My sister and my mother were accomplices when their life and the lives of her boys were threatened."

"I just finished speaking to your mother and sister Logan. I will let you listen to their confession and see if it matches with what you heard. We picked up Liza Morgan at the airport she was trying to leave the country."

"Tristan, thank you."

"Hey anytime, if I could help you with anything else let me know. You know Mare means a lot to me, even though she did marry Marty."

Giving a sad laugh Logan said, "Yeah, she is pretty special. But I would rather have her in my life as a friend than not at all."

"That is true. Logan, I am going to call Jess now and tell him that she is safe."

"Thanks again, Tristan. "

"Stay safe Logan, and listen you are a good guy. The companies will do fine."

The driver returned Logan to his flat. Logan walked in and sat at his desk. He picked up his phone and looked through the contacts seeing her number he called.

Marty rolled over when he heard Rory's phone ring. "Babe, do you want me to get it?" he asked her and then he kissed her on the lips.

Rory woke up and reached over to her side of the bed reaching for her phone.

"Hello"

"Ace, sorry to wake you."

Then Logan began to silently cry. Everything that had happened since he saw her came to him. His loss of the love of his life when he told her not now. He wondered now how their life would have been different if she accepted the engagement ring.

"Logan? Are you okay? Logan?"

Sniffling and wiping the tears from his face Logan said, "It's over, Rory. You are safe now."

"Logan? What's over? What do you mean I'm safe?"

"I will be home tomorrow and if it is alright with Marty I would like to tell you everything."

"Alright. Logan are you sure you are okay?"

'I will be. But can you promise me something?"

"Of course, Logan, anything."

"Promise me that someday in your heart you can have a space for me too. A small space like you have for Jess and Finn."

Tears came to Rory's eyes and a small smile came on her face. "Logan, you are already there."

"I love you, Ace."

"I know," Rory said back and smiled as she ended her call.

She swallowed and turned to her husband and the tears started falling down her face. Marty pulled her into his arms and she placed her head on his chest and silently cried. Rory cried for Logan, the first man she loved, she cried for Finn, the second man she loved but had to give him up, she cried for Ace. Finn and Ace helped her heal her heart so that she was able to love again, and that love is Marty. The baby began to move, and Marty could feel a little movement. They both began to laugh.

She looked up at her husband and said, "I love you and now I know everything will be okay."


	80. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

On January 20th Rory gave birth to a seven-pound-eight-ounce baby boy. He was 22 inches long and had a great set of lungs. Marty was with her through the twelve-hour labor and she remembered her mother telling her about her birth. Though she didn't swear like a sailor she did start laughing when she saw the ice chips in the cup. A huge contraction happened, and she looked at him and said, "Move those or I might just throw them at you."

Marty called in Ace's parents into the labor delivery room once the baby was delivered. When the doctor asked if he wanted to cut the cord he said no. He then handed Adélaide surgical scissors for her to snip the umbilical cord. The baby was then wrapped in a blanket and handed to Rory. He was beautiful, she kissed him gently on the head and then the nurse took the baby over where they quickly cleaned him up and dressed him before handing him back to his father. Marty opened his gown and shirt and held the baby to his chest. He then walked over to both Nicolai and Adélaide and handing the baby to them he said, "Here is your Grandson, Nathan Gerrard Knight but he will be called Ace for short." He then took out his phone and took a picture of the baby in Ace's parent's arms. Everyone in the room began to cry. Gabby was there, and she went over to her sister in law and whispered, "Your son will be the luckiest little boy in the world."

"I know," she whispered back.

Two weeks after Little Ace was born, Stephanie and Colin gave birth to an eight-pound-two-ounce baby boy. They named him Nolan Finnegan McCrae. Uncle Finn was proud and happy handing out cigars to everyone. Finn moved in with Juliet and Pari, and Pari began to call Finn, Daddy Finn.

It was now April and Logan's Father was now in prison for white colored criminals charged with blackmail and embezzlement. He would be there for ten years. His mother and sister were released since they were victims and turned over all evidence to the FBI. However, they had to move from Hartford. Honor and Josh moved into New York City so that Josh could head up the company that Tristan owned. Shira moved to Palm Springs and divorced Mitchum hoping to find a new life. Logan decided to give her a small monthly allowance and for the first time in forty years she had to learn to live within her means.

She now had to work since she no longer had the wealth that she was accustomed too. Since she had experience attending spas, she was hired now as a manager at one of the luxury spas where she had frequented.

HPG was restructured and his Uncle Wes, now took a more active role in running the business. However, the company had fired the CFO that was working there when Mitchum became involved with the Fontanes, so they still needed financial help.

The buzzer rang in Rory and Marty's apartment, Marty answered the door holding little Ace.

"Logan, Bobbie, come on in. We are so glad you could join us tonight. It's so good to see you both." They walked in and Marty kissed Bobbie on the cheek and patted Logan on the shoulder. Looking at the little boy Logan said, "Can I hold him?"

"Sure," Marty said as he handed the infant over to Logan.

"Hey Little Ace, you have your mother's eyes. You are one lucky little guy, you have the best mother in the world. She will love you, read to you, and take you on some amazing adventures. I want you to remember that Uncle Logan will always be here for you whenever you need me, just like your mom and dad have been here for me."

Rory was standing leaning in the doorway of her bedroom listening to Logan talk to her son. A tear dripped down her cheek and she smiled. She dried her eyes and walked out of her bedroom in a navy-blue denim shirt dress.

"Hi Logan, Bobbie. I am so glad you could join us for dinner. It will be delivered soon."

Bobbie was now holding little Ace and Logan came over and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I see your cooking skills still have not improved?"

Rory smiled and began to laugh.

"Marty doesn't want me to poison anyone. So, we ordered Thai for tonight. How does that sound?"

"Perfect."

The doorbell rang, and Marty went to the door to pay for the food. He took it to their large kitchen and placed the food in the serving dishes that she had set out earlier. He then brought it over to the table. Rory took her son from Bobbie and placed him in the cradle that was already set up by the table. Rory had fed him before Logan and Bobbie had arrived. He was not yet asleep so she placed him in the cradle that Luke had made for him. Luke had added timer and a mechanism so that the cradle would gently rock. Rory set the timer and the cradle began to move.

Marty poured the wine and said, "I want to make a toast, To Friends, may they always share our life in good times and bad."

They all raised their glasses and Logan looked over the rim of his wine glass at both Rory and Marty. He cleared his throat and smiled at them both.

"Marty, Rory, I have a proposition for you. I received the paperwork from Colin with the contract of the amount of money you want to invest in HPG. I will only accept this and the other three publishing houses that you have so generously offered if you agree to join me on the board of HPG."

Rory looked at Marty and then at Logan.

"Logan, I don't have the time. And besides we are moving to Hartford so that we won't be staying here in Manhattan. We are keeping the apartment so when Marty is here he has someplace to stay."

"Marty, you haven't told her have you," Logan said looking at him.

"No, I figured you could tell her."

"Tell me what?"

"I am moving HPG headquarters to Hartford. Marty has agreed to take on HPG as CFO and one of his largest clients. Bobbie and I are returning to London to look for someone to help my uncle run the HPG there, then we are returning to Hartford."

"That's wonderful, but Logan I can't"

"Rory, yes you can. It's time to take another leap. I want this for Nathan, I want him to be a part of the company since you have invested his money in my company. Ace, I always envisioned us running this company together, I never pictured us not married to each other and married to someone else. But it is what it is. I am happy for you, Marty and Nathan. This is something I can give to you and your family since you have given me so much."

"Logan, are you?" Rory then looked down at Bobbi's left hand and saw a beautiful one-carat diamond in a simple tiffany setting on Bobbi's left hand.

"Congratulations, Bobbi, Logan that is wonderful."

"So, Ace, will you say yes. Will you help us run our company?"

She looked down at her son and then at her husband. He nodded yes and took her hand, "Rory, it's okay. I think Ace would want this for you and our son."

"Ror? What do you say? Marty already said yes, now I need your answer.

Rory started crying and then nodded her head. Logan looked up at Marty and he nodded. Logan stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. He then wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Thank you. It looks like you saved me again Ace. I will always love you."

Crying she whispered back, "I love you too Logan. You are my best friend."

The End

 **To all my readers, thank you for letting me tell my AU version of Rory. I know I had many fans out there who love and hope that Logan and Rory will end up and live happily ever after. However, I am a writer who likes to look at alternative situations for Rory. This was my very first attempt at writing. Thank you for all the responses and criticisms. A writer only improves when she receives feedback. I like to complete what I have started. Now that this story is completed, and my second story Life Choices, Changes and Challenges is halfway written, I am beginning my third story. The second story will appeal to the Rory/Finn fans and my third story will be a #Trory, appealing to the Tristan/Rory fans. I hesitate to write the #Rogan stories since it has been written so frequently. I never would have had the nerve to write this if it hadn't been for the encouragement from anonymousgg16, ClaudiaClelland, ladyhelmsworth90, and sammytina2017. Thank You.**


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